Working relationship with chief executive is fine, says chief secretary
Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Friday rejected suggestions that she would resign early because she had only a minor role to play in the current administration.
Lam, the city’s second highest ranking official, was responding to questions over her relationship with her boss Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
Suspicions of tensions between the two arose after former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang said early this week Lam had been given little chance to voice her views and might resign if the chief executive did not value her advice.
I am devoted to serving ... Hong Kong, and don’t have any intention to stop serving them in mid-term
But Lam said on Friday she worked well with Leung and had no plan to resign early.
“The chief executive has given me many tasks, in particular, the co-ordination of work among different bureaus,” she said.
“This can’t be described as a minor role,” she said before attending a lunch at the Legislative Council.
Lam also dismissed the suggestion that she might resign before her five-year term ended.
“I am devoted to serving the people of Hong Kong, and I don’t have any intention to stop serving them in mid-term,” she said.
Leung has also rejected Chan’s suggestion. On Thursday, he described his working relationship with Lam was one of “perfect harmony”.
On Friday, he reiterated that his cabinet members would continue to work and co-operate with each other.
“No one [in my cabinet] has any plan or intention whatsoever to leave office,” he said.
Ahead of the anti-government July 1 march next Monday, Leung also faced questions about the performance of his cabinet team.
Asked about suggestions that some of his ministers were incompetent and should be replaced, he urged people to give his team more time.
“I think a more positive way of looking at the question is that everyone should give the government, including its political team, the time and the space that is needed for us to deliver on the pledges that we made in our election manifesto,” he said.
