Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s popularity has increased slightly but still remains firmly below the warning line, according to new polling results released on Tuesday.
In the latest results from the University of Hong Kong’s Public Opinion Programme (HKUPOP), Leung’s rating rose to 42.7 marks—higher than his last rating of 41.8 marks in early December but still below the warning line of 45.
The SAR Government’s popularity dropped slightly compared to a month ago. Its satisfaction rate now stands at 24 percent and dissatisfaction rate 48 percent, giving a net satisfaction rate of negative 24 percentage points.
The survey also measured public appraisal of the government’s five specific policy areas. Of these, only the handling of relation with the Central Government registered a positive value at positive 3 percentage points.
Maintaining economic prosperity came in at negative 11 percentage points; protection of human rights and freedom at negative 15 percent; improving people’s livelihood at negative 19 percent; and developing democracy at negative 26 percent.
“As for the reasons affecting the ups and downs of these figures, we leave it to our readers to form their own judgment using detailed records displayed in our ‘Opinion Daily’,” said Frank Lee Wai-kin, Research Manager of Public Opinion Programme.
A feature page named “Opinion Daily” on the HKUPOP website records significant events on newspaper headlines and commentaries during the period examined.
Most recently, these events include the power bill cut, implementation of Competition Ordinance and the adjournment of the second reading meeting of the Copyright Amendment Bill in Legislative Council.
The opinion poll interviewed 1,012 people by telephone from December 16 to 21, with a response rate of 66.6 percent.
