In the spotlight for once, the Executive Council – the de facto cabinet of Hong Kong’s chief executive – is taking flak for its advising of Carrie Lam in the extradition bill crisis
- Exco meets most weeks with the city’s leader, who is bound by law to consult it on policy
- Advisory body now faces calls for members to resign and criticism for going on summer recess at a critical time
More used to discussing government business in closed-door sessions, members of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s quasi-cabinet have been in the media spotlight recently over their roles as her top advisers in the political debacle triggered by the government’s handling of the fugitive bill, which Lam has conceded was a “total failure”.
As calls grow louder for a major cabinet reshuffle to signal Lam’s willingness to start afresh, her administration drew more criticism after announcing the Executive Council would go on summer recess until late August despite the ongoing political crisis.
Political scientist Cheung Chor-yung of City University called the move bizarre. “When Hong Kong is in a mess, they should hold more meetings to work out solutions. But they choose to go on holiday, leaving the top decision-making level in a vacuum.”
What is Exco and what is its composition?
Commonly described as the chief executive’s cabinet, Exco assists the city’s leader in policymaking.
At present, Exco has 32 members, comprising 16 government ministers and 16 non-officials. Non-official members are appointed by the chief executive, as he or she wishes, without a specific number. In former leader Tung Chee-hwa’s time, there were only four non-official members on Exco.
