CHINA TOPIX

12/22/2024 06:03:34 pm

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Hong Kong Tycoon Sacked by Top China Political Advisory Group for Criticizing CY Leung

Lawmaker Sacked Over Criticisms On Hong Kong Chief Executive

(Photo : Reuters) A lawmaker has been sacked by his party for openly criticizing Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung

A top political advisory group in China has ousted one of its members, Hong Kong tycoon and lawmaker James Tien, for openly criticizing Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung.

Reports said Tien has accepted his dismissal from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and announced in a press conference that he will resign from the pro-Beijing Liberal Party where he is the chairman.

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Tien had been reportedly urging Leung in public to quit his post for his failure to contain the Hong Kong street protests which have been going on for a month now.

The pro-democracy protesters marked their one month of continuous rallies and demonstrations on important business and political sites last Tuesday, disrupting the daily lives of residents in Hong Kong.

Hundreds of students and activists calling for full democracy remained in key protest sites in Hong Kong in response to Beijing's pronouncements that it will screen candidates for the chief executive election in 2017.

Tien  has reportedly told the South China Morning Post that  the protesters have been ignoring court injunctions to stay away from key areas and that some lawmakers were being uncooperative.

The businessman was quoted as saying that Leung should resign for his inability to stop the protests. He questioned Leung's credibility as Hong Kong's chief executive, asking, "How is he going to govern?"

The lawmaker's criticisms ran counter to a vote the CPPCC had taken last March to fully support Leung's leadership.

Tien, 67, is a very wealthy Hong Kong businessman who has strong ties with the China leadership. He chairs a real estate company called Manhattan Holdings

Reports said his remarks have caused him to sever ties with Chinese officials. He is the first Hong Kong official believed to be sacked by the China leadership due to his political views.

Beijing has expressed its full support to Leung despite the plunging public approval ratings he has received since assuming the chief executive office in Hong Kong in 2012.

China state media even issued several editorials at the height of the protests praising Leung for his "excellent" handling of the situation.

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