Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing has said it would be “a good thing” if Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is reelected to become the first Hong Kong leader to govern for ten years, reported Sing Tao Daily.
At a forum held by local media platform master-insight.com on Monday, the LegCo chief was asked about his recent op-ed on Mexico’s election laws titled “Barred from reelection.” Citing a visiting envoy, Tsang wrote that Mexican presidents are not allowed to run for reelection, saving the time and energy spent on political campaigns and allowing them to focus on fulfilling their duties instead.
Asked if his op-ed was “hinting at something,” Tsang said Hong Kong could learn from Mexico by extending the chief executive’s term to ten years and disallowing reelections. This would help prevent “lame duck” leaders when the administration is in transition, Tsang said.
The LegCo president went on to say that if Leung can continue to rule for five more years after his current term ends in 2017, he will be the first chief executive to be in office for a decade—”a good thing,” he said.
At the same event, Tsang was also asked again whether he intends to run for Hong Kong’s highest office in 2017, reported Apple Daily.
“Of course I will not run, I have said it many times. I don’t meet the requirements for running, or the requirements to be chief executive, I hope [the media] does not ask again,” Tsang answered.
The 68-year-old expressed his interest in running during the 2012 election but gave up the idea ten days later, saying he had witnessed the “ugly side of our election culture.”
