In Hong Kong's biggest government shake-up since its return to Chinese rule, Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) named a new Cabinet of political appointees and brushed aside criticism that he was chipping away at the civil service left behind by the British.
The 14 members of the Cabinet will be politically accountable to Tung, replacing a system in which top bureaucrats were responsible for government departments.
The chief executive described the new arrangement as the "dawning of a new era for the governance of Hong Kong." But his political opponents say that Tung pushed his plan through too quickly and they worry about the concentration of power in his hands.
At a press conference introducing the new Cabinet line-up, Tung sought to ease concerns the change will distance Hong Kong's government from its roots as an evenhanded and honest civil service.
"In pursuing any reform, I will not allow the integrity and stability of the civil service to be compromised," he said. "On the contrary, I intend to strengthen these core values."
The former shipping magnate is highly unpopular among Hong Kong citizens, who view him as beholden to Beijing and big business. The deep economic troubles faced by the territory since it reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 haven't helped.
Tung calls the new arrangement an "accountability system." Critics call it a disaster in the making, saying the new government chiefs will be accountable only to Tung, who is accountable only to Beijing.
"No accountability system in the world is like this," said lawmaker Martin Lee, who as head of the Democratic Party is Hong Kong's most prominent opposition figure. "It's got nothing to do with accountability to the people. I call it a sham."
The new Cabinet will be in place for the start of Tung's second five-year term on July 1, the fifth anniversary of the hand-over. The chief executive was re-elected -- without opposition -- in a restricted electoral process that gave votes to just 800 members of a committee full of pro-Beijing figures and special-interest representatives.
The new line-up, which was approved by Beijing over the weekend, contains many officials who worked their way up through the ranks of the old system.
Tung's top three deputies -- Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang, Financial Secretary Antony Leung and Justice Secretary Elsie Leung -- will keep their jobs.
But as political appointees, they would be easier to fire if Tung becomes unhappy with them.
Tung also named 11 political appointees to serve as secretaries in charge of government bureaus, including six from within government and five outsiders.
He described his new Cabinet as coming from a "variety of backgrounds" and promised it will be accountable to the people of Hong Kong as it "feels the pulse of the community."
Tung also filled high-level posts in Hong Kong's bureaucracy and in other departments, including the police and immigration.
The political opposition has complained that Tung's appointees will not be vetted by Hong Kong lawmakers.
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