"The HKCCSA is of the view that it is in the public interest to have the new-term government in place on 1 July, so that it can set out at once to cope with deep-seated issues that have remained unresolved for years with focused energy and lead Hong Kong people gradually out of the present predicament. This should be accorded top priority. As for the organisation of the new government and the direction of its policy implementation, views may vary and options are many. It is hard to say which is the most effective. Endless arguments will only waste our time. The cruel fact is that we are facing severe challenges both internally and externally and we just cannot afford any more waiting.

But of course, whether CY Leung, our fourth-term Chief Executive, and his governing team can lead Hong Kong out of this predicament through the visions and initiatives set out in his Manifesto cannot be proven until they take office. Unless there is an ulterior motive, the people of Hong Kong should be happy to see his work succeed.

Some argue against the proposed reorganisation by suggesting the following: the delineation of powers and responsibilities remains unclear under the accountability system; the creation of deputy secretary posts is nothing but multi-layering; cooperation between civil servants and politically appointed officials leaves much to be desired; civil servants are at a loss as to how to work with deputy secretaries and political assistants; permanent secretaries and deputy secretaries have to present themselves at the LegCo and hence continue to be politically accountable; and the civil service is a pool of talents so there should be suitable candidates for filling the posts of directors of bureaux or for supporting the work of directors of bureaux. Some also hold the view that the public and civil servants should be consulted on the reorganisation proposal and that it is not a must for the new structure to be in place on 1 July.

Civil servants should know their roles

The HKCCSA's stance is that the said issues relating to the accountability system are not something new and it is of course necessary to draw on past experience. (We formally urged the current Government to conduct a review in August last year, but our request has been declined.) However, if reorganisation does not commence until a review is completed, that will mean a lapse of months - a waste of time indeed. It is in fact possible to rationalise and improve cooperation between civil servants and politically appointed officials as well as between the executive and the legislature through actual operation and a new partnership."