MINISTERIAL SYSTEM IN HONG KONG: A STRENGTHENING OF THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

The Chief executive of Hong Kong, Tung Chee-hwa, launched a new ministerial system in Hong Kong in July 2002. The new ministerial system in general, and the composition of the Executive Council in particular, transformed the decision-making processes in the government. On the one hand, the politically appointed ministers (secretaries with portfolios) are given new roles and powers in the governance process. On the other hand, the senior civil servants, once the main decision-makers in the government, are put into a more neutral position mainly responsible for routine administration. A politics-administration dichotomy seems to be established. The aim of the article is to analyze the implications of the new ministerial system for politics in Hong Kong. It is argued that the ministerial system only strengthens the power of the chief executive rather than increases the degree of political accountability, or democracy, in Hong Kong.