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First term of CY Leung as Chief Executive of Hong Kong, officially referred to as "The 4th term Chief Executive of Hong Kong" relates to the period of governance of Hong Kong since the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2017.

Election

During the Hong Kong Chief Executive election, 2012, CY Leung secured a majority of the 1,132 votes cast by Election Committee members. Leung received 689 votes in all. His opponents Henry Tang and Albert Ho received 285 and 76 votes respectively. Thus, Leung was declared duly elected by the Returning Officer. After the election result was endorsed by the Central Government of the PRC, Leung will take office on 1 July 2012, for a term of five years.

Mandate

Upon their elections, Tung Chee-hwa and Donald Tsang enjoyed popularity ratings of 80 percent and 70 percent respectively. Commentators have widely suggested that by comparison, Leung's very low approval rating 17.8 per cent of participants in the mock election and a less than overwhelming 57 per cent support from the Election Committee members means he lacks a mandate from the people. The Standard cited one source who suggested the fact that the central government liaison office was actively involvement in the election may deter some people from joining Leung's team. Furthermore, pundits have commented that Leung's lack of support within the business community may mean Leung may have difficulty recruiting suitable and capable talent for his cabinet.

Legacy issues

In addition to general livelihood issues, specific issues inherited by Leung from the previous administration include:

• Pregnant mainland women seeking to give birth in Hong Kong, specifically to benefit from the right of abode. Seeking to assert his authority, Leung first public announcement on policy as Chief Executive-elect was to impose a 'zero' quota on mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong. Leung further underlined that those who did may not be able to secure the right of abode for their offspring in Hong Kong.

• Illegal structures, particularly on village houses and latent confrontation with the Heung Yee Kuk.

• The future of solid waste disposal, specifically the proposal to construct a waste incinerator on Shek Kwu Chau, after Edward Yau, Environment secretary for the 2nd Tsang administration, failed to secure the support of Panel members to file its funding request to the relevant LegCo committee in April 2012.
• As part of Hong Kong's democratic development, the Leung administration is tasked with paving the way for election, in 2017, of the Chief Executive by universal suffrage.

• The Tsang administration resurrected plans for a “national education” that had been originally shelved until 2015. It announced in April 2012 that Moral and National Education would be introduced as a curriculum subject in both primary and secondary schools in September of the same year, becoming compulsory in primary schools in September 2015 and in secondary schools in 2016.

Transitional team

Fanny Law, who was Leung's campaign manager, was appointed to head the office of the CE-elect. Leung earlier appointed Cathy Hung as his PR officer and Allen Fung as project officer.

Leung's fourth appointment to his transitional office, of 27-year-old Chen Ran (陳冉) as his project officer, stirred criticism. Chen is a former General Secretary of the pro-CPC Hong Kong Y.Elites Association (香港菁英會), of which Leung is the patron. She is also the daughter of a middle-ranking government official in Shanghai, and a former member of the Communist Youth League who has resided in Hong Kong for over 6 years. Her application to permanent residency of Hong Kong has been reportedly fast-tracked. Lee Cheuk-yan criticised Leung of "seeding a Communist princeling" in the civil service. The CE-elect's office said that Chen had not been actively involved in the Youth League since 2005; the DAB said it was appropriate for Leung to recruit people who shared his vision. An op-ed in The Standard said that "almost every bright student is invited to join the CYL," but that "Leung should have been aware of the sensitivity involved". The appointment makes the CE-elect's office the third government department to recruit a non-permanent resident since the system of non-civil service contracts was put in place in 1999.

Restructure of governing apparatus

In April 2012, chief Leung announced plan to reform the government, "aimed at providing a better service to the public while boosting governance". Under the plan, two more deputy secretaries are to be created – a new deputy chief secretary and deputy financial secretary – to join the chief secretary, financial secretary, and secretary for justice. Leung announced his desire to create a Culture Bureau; Housing and Transport would be split into two bureaux and Housing would merge with Lands and planning. The newly created Deputy chief secretary position will be responsible for the Labour and welfare, Education and cultural affairs bureaux. The Chief secretary is to oversee environment, Food and health, Home affairs, Security, Civil service and Constitutional and mainland affairs. The Financial secretary is to oversee Housing, planning and lands, Works, Transport and Financial services and the treasury bureaux. The Deputy financial secretary will be in overall charge of the Commerce, industrial and tourism, as well as the Information and technology bureaux. To allow for a smooth transition, the government agreed to table Leung's restructuring plan before LegCo before it dissolved for the summer. However, Pan Democrats believed careful scrutiny was necessary, and strongly opposed the plan to rush through the changes; People Power representatives in Legco warned they would table some 900 motions at the Finance Committee meeting on 15 June and over 100 amendments at the plenary council meeting on June 20.

New lineup

The new ministerial line-up under Leung was announced on 28 June. As the new structure has not yet passed through the legislature, the posts were announced under the old structures.

Mak Chai-kwong housing allowance allegations

Newly-appointed development minister, Mak Chai-kwong, became embroiled in controversy when disclosures surfaced about the cross-leasing scheme he allegedly used to claim housing allowance some 20 years ago as a civil servant The incident led to his arrest by the ICAC and his resignation.

National Education

Furore erupted in the first week of July 2012, when the National Education Services Centre and National Education Centre published a 34-page education booklet on the Beijing Consensus in which one-party rule was praised. it was revealed that the previous administration had granted at least HK$72 million (US$9.2 million) over six years to the two companies to produce these materials, which were accused of being "biased".

The Leung administration, which steadfastly resisted public pressure to scrap the subject, was accused of attempting to force through the Beijing government's agenda to "brainwash" its citizens against popular opposition.

References

1. Kaiman, Jonathan (25 March 2012). "Thousands protest pick for Hong Kong executive post". Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on 25 March 2012.
2. The Fourth Term Chief Executive Election – Result. Government of Hong Kong.
3. Siu, Phila; Benitez, Mary Ann (21 March 2012). "Public warned of uncertainty after big day". The Standard
4. Tsang, Steve (2 April 2012). "Political realities". South China Morning Post.
5. Siu, Phila (26 March 2012). "Team selection Leung's top priority". The Standard
6. Cheung, Chi-fai (26 March 2012). "After a hard race, tests loom large for Leung". South China Morning Post.
7. Luk, Eddie (17 April 2012). "Door shuts on moms". The Standard.
8. Luk, Eddie (24 April 2012). "Rural leaders to rally in defense of homes". The Standard.
9. Cheung, Chi-fai (Apr 21, 2012). "Bureau ditches HK$15b incinerator funding bid". South China Morning Post
10. National education subject to be delayed". South China Morning Post, 26 January 2012
11. Chong, Winnie (10 July 2012) "Lesson in wavering over manual 'bias'". The Standard
12. Staff reporter (20 April 2012). "Law takes on job as director of CE-elect office". The Standard.
13. ^ Luk, Eddie (24 April 2012). "Leung breaks silence on young aide". The Standard.
14. "委「共青」入候任特首辦 梁振英拒评安插官二代 ". p2, Headline News, 24 April 2012. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012.
15. Ma, Mary (24 April 2012). "Leung's hiring glitches". The Standard.
16. Lee, Colleen (24 April 2012). "Leung office defends its hiring of mainlander". South China Morning Post.
17. Siu, Phila (24 May 2012). "Time for new filibuster row as Leung 'turns back clock'" . The Standard
18. ^ Lee, Colleen; So, Peter; Ng, Kang-chung (8 June 2012). "'Business as usual' for CY if plan fails". South China Morning Post
19. Mary Ma, (27 April 2012) "Top choice closing in". The Standard
20. Luk, Eddie (29 June 2012). "Leung's men (and woman)". The Standard
21. Ma, Mary (9 July 2012) "Time to come clean on bundled deal". The Standard
22. (13 July 2012). "Official insists he played by rules on parents' flat". The Standard
23. Chan, Candy (16 July 2012). "Give public say on patriotic 'bias,' say teachers". The Standard

• Use dmy dates from April 2012
• Hong Kong Government