Felix Chung Urges Exco Overhaul To Heal Society

Liberal Party leader Felix Chung on Sunday urged the Chief Executive Carrie Lam to reform her executive council by including more opposition voices, in the wake of the political crisis brought on by the extradition bill.

Chung told RTHK’s City Forum that it’s “not ideal” for the group of top advisers – which counts among its members his colleague Tommy Cheung – to have only pro-establishment voices.

He said some Exco members may have given Lam poor advice on the bill – which she ultimately suspended following a mass rally attended by an estimated one million people, and violent clashes outside the government and Legco complex earlier this month.

Several executive councillors have apologised for underestimating the depth of public opposition to the bill, which would have allowed fugitives accused of serious crimes to be transferred to the mainland and other jurisdictions.

Carrie Lam herself has a ‘sincere apology’ for mishandling the bill, but Chung said saying ‘sorry’ alone isn’t enough to regain public trust.

Chung told reporters that shaking things up in Exco could help mend the rifts in society caused by the controversial extradition legislation.

“It’s not that easy”, Chung said. “I suggest [she can] restructure the whole administration… so that she can prove that to the public that she really wants to change.”

He said adding more people with opposing views to the government is something that "can be discussed."