Chief executive-elect Leung Chun-ying caused a stir yesterday by publicly calling on the central government's liaison office after his election victory.
His one-hour visit to the office in Western district followed a meeting with current chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen at Tamar.
Liaison officials, director Dr Peng Qinghua and deputy director Li Gang, shook Leung's hand on the doorstep as he left the office.
Leung's predecessors after the handover, Tsang and Tung Chee-hwa, were not reported to have called on the liaison office so soon after being elected.
Yesterday's visit drew criticism from pan-democrats, who claimed he went to thank the liaison office officials for their alleged covert support during the campaign.
Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan, who came third in the election, said: 'I think [Leung] will do that again, boldly, in future ... [The visit] was obviously to thank them for their vote canvassing. It dealt a blow to the public's confidence in the idea of Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong.'
But Leung hit back: 'It was totally not to thank them for vote canvassing. My reasons for visiting the liaison office were very clear. When elected, [I] should start to prepare for my trip to Beijing to get appointed.
