********************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The President of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Hon Jasper Tsang Yok-sing said today (July 13) that a healthy relationship between the Executive and the Legislature should be one in which both branches perform their respective constitutional roles dutifully and effectively, which is conducive to improving the administration of the Government.
Speaking at the President¡¦s end-of-session briefing, Mr Tsang said, ¡§In accordance with the Basic Law, we have to make sure that the Legislature regulates the work of the Government. The Legislature should be able to reflect people¡¦s views and these views can in turn enhance the Government¡¦s administration.¡¨
Mr Tsang cited the Code of Practice on Employment under the Race Discrimination Ordinance just passed by the LegCo as an example. He said that the Code of Practice was discussed in great detail and Members had suggested a number of amendments. And after discussion, those amendments were accepted by the Administration. The whole process was constructive and interactive and this was welcomed by members of the public.
On the work of the President, Mr Tsang said, ¡§In the past nine months, the work as the LegCo President was not as difficult as I had expected because I had the support of a professional, efficient and experienced Secretariat. Moreover, the cooperation from my fellow Members is also very important.¡¨
In response to some remarks concerning the performance of Members, Mr Tsang pointed out that Members were elected by voters from different constituencies and what they did in the Council was a reflection of the diversified views of the community. He believed that the parliamentary culture of the LegCo was not unchangeable, and ¡§as time moves on, the parliamentary culture will change accordingly.¡¨
He said that it was only fair to judge the performance of Members from a broader perspective, instead of only judging them from what they did in the Chamber or what was reported in the media. Members¡¦ duties included scrutinising bills and subsidiary legislation, discussing policy issues in Panel and committee meetings and maintaining contact with their constituencies. ¡§When we evaluate the work of Members, we should look at their overall performance,¡¨ he added.
Ends/Monday, July 13, 2009
Issued at HKT 21:57
NNNN
