Liberal Party chief Tommy Cheung says joining Exco doesn’t mean he’ll become ‘Leung fan’

Liberal Party chairman Tommy Cheung Yu-yan has defended his decision to join the Executive Council, stressing that he will not become a government yes-man and insisting he will consider all chief executive candidates’ election platforms before deciding whom to support.

The veteran politician also said he was surprised by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s invitation to join his cabinet, revealing that the invitation was extended when Leung asked to meet him at the Government House, though Cheung had thought they would be discussing other matters.

“Joining Exco does not mean I will become a ‘Leung fan’. I am doing this for every Hongkonger,” Cheung said during an RTHK programme on Monday, using a Chinese term referring to people loyal to the current chief executive.

Last week, Leung made the surprise move to appoint Cheung and Martin Liao Cheung-kong – convenor of the Legislative Council’s pro-establishment camp – as Exco members. The appointments came just four months before the chief executive election and were thus seen as an attempt to consolidate Leung’s political support base so he could seek a second term more smoothly.

Cheung’s appointment came as a big surprise because James Tien Pei-chun, the Liberal Party’s former leader and party linchpin, had publicly declared his “ABC” advocacy – “Anyone But CY” in the coming chief executive election. Tien even called on Cheung to step down as party chairman as he had failed to inform him and other leading members about the appointment beforehand.

On Monday, Cheung said there were bound to be diverging views from different parties on various matters. Tien made his comments because he felt that was in the best interests of the party, Cheung said.