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Called ‘aggressive’ and unsuitable to be Legco president, Andrew Leung says he will work with different parties if he gets top job
With victory all but certain, former house committee chair defends himself against critics and rival James To on radio show
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Responding to critics, Legislative Council presidential hopeful Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen said he would be willing to work with different parties if he won the race, even as a rival described him as “impatient,” “aggressive” and “not suitable for president.”
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On Friday morning, the former Legco house committee chairman, who has been endorsed by the pro-establishment camp, appeared on a radio show with the democratic camp’s nominee for the legislature’s top job, James To Kun-sun.
To said that in the past, Leung, whose victory is all but certain due to his camp’s majority in the legislature, was impatient and aggressive when he chaired house committee and council meetings in the absence of former Legco president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing.
“Even within the pro-establishment camp, before they endorsed [Leung], some had doubts about him,” he said.
Earlier, independent legislator Paul Tse Wai-chun and New People’s Party lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun both indicated they were interested in running for Legco presidency but later pulled out of the race as most of the legislators in the camp supported Leung.
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Both pro-establishment legislators had been critical of Leung’s suitability for the role, pointing out that since Leung’s seat was uncontested in the functional constituency, he lacked a mandate compared to those elected in a geographical constituency.
Questions were also raised as to whether Beijing’s liaison office had overstepped its boundaries and meddled in the Legco presidency race, after several pro-establishment legislators said the office had approached them to discuss potential candidates.
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