The post of Chief Secretary for Administration has been vacant since Li Jiachao resigned to run for the election of the Chief Executive. Positions will be vacant until June 30.
Based on the analysis of many politicians, there are at least three considerations behind the central government's continued suspension of this post, and the three are linked together. The most important point is to consider the connection between the two governments.
Tang Jiahua, a member of the Executive Council, even believed that Carrie Lam had suggested candidates to the Central Committee, but the Central Committee did not accept them.
1. Consider the issue of connecting with the next government
Executive Council member Tong Jiahua believes that the Chief Secretary for Administration itself is a co-ordinator position. "The Civil Service Bureau has over a hundred thousand government employees." Carrie Lam also said that some of the statutory powers exercised by the Chief Secretary for Administration can be exercised by the Chief Executive. It is authorized separately, so it has little impact.
He also pointed out that Carrie Lam "has no worries anymore, I have nothing to do for two months, I don't need to think about other things, and I don't have to deal with too many things after June 30. The workload should not increase too much." , Since Carrie Lam also thinks that there is no problem with her concurrently serving as part of the Chief Secretary for Administration, the transition should be smooth.
Tang Jiahua estimated that, as a rule, Carrie Lam should have suggested one or two candidates to the Central Committee. "If it doesn't matter, if the Central Committee thinks that it wants to push people to the top, and the Chief Executive does not mention the candidates, the Central Committee will try to help people on the edge?" Considering various factors, especially after the issue of the next government's formation of classes, I don't think it is necessary. "We must consider political perceptions, and respect the decision of the next Chief Executive. 𠵱The term of office will not be enough for 3 months. If you are promoted to a Secretary It would be embarrassing to be the Chief Secretary, and in the end the new chief executive would return to the same position after he came on stage.” However, he believed that the central government did not accept candidates based on distrust of the proposal, but because of the above-mentioned connection issues.
When asked about Sun Mingyang (then Secretary for Housing Planning and Lands), who had been appointed as Chief Secretary for a short period of time in 2005, Tang Jiahua believed that the political environment of more than ten years ago could not be compared with today.
As pointed out by Liu Zhaojia, vice-chairman of the National Association for Hong Kong and Macau Studies, if a new Chief Secretary for Administration is now appointed, it will lead to speculation on whether this person will transition to the next government. Not the same, it will only cause embarrassment. Carrie Lam also does not want to have an undesired candidate as deputy in the next two and a half months.
2. The central government did not have a comprehensive idea
Continuing from the above, due to the need to consider the issue of connecting with the next government, the image of the candidate for the future Chief Secretary for Administration will be very important: whether to find a hard-line like the Secretary for Security Tang Bingqiang, or since Li Jiachao is already a security system, it is better to find other AOs The former official is the second in command, assisting in governance.
Many politicians estimate that the central government may not have a comprehensive idea at this stage, and would rather observe for a while before making a decision.
After Li Jiachao resigned as Chief Secretary for Administration, his post has been vacant.
Carrie Lam said the vacant situation will continue until June 30.
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3. If there is no transition, who will take over the next term is not the biggest concern
Another politician said that after Carrie Lam announced at the beginning of the month that she would give up her re-election, the level of concern in the political world about who will act as Chief Secretary for Administration is actually not high, because there are more than two months left in the term of office, "unless the person is very clear, There will be a transition to the next government.” And since the July 1st change is imminent, it is not a good thing to change the second-in-command of the government too frequently at an important juncture in the fight against the epidemic.
Some members of the Legislative Council reported privately that rather than waiting for the soon-to-be-retired Carrie Lam to suggest a candidate for the secretary, it is better to look forward to a new secretary who will take office next term. I believe many politicians are happy to wait for Li Jiachao to be elected before announcing the new secretary. Director candidate.
"Anyway, Carrie Lam doesn't mind, Li Jiachao is busy with the election project again, and the Central Committee will be in a hurry?"
It is rare for the Chief Secretary for Administration to be hanging before the change of office. Secretary Xuan Kong Chen Maobo as the Chairman of the IAAC Chief Secretary for Administration Li Jiachao: Can appropriate arrangements be made to play the role of the Secretary as usual to refute Tan Yaozong?
Carrie Lam: The Chief Secretary for Administration can still be exempted from the gathering restriction order, but he can contact the Chief Executive's Office
