John Tsang or Jasper Tsang? Hongkongers mulling the 2017 chief executive election must bear in mind Machiavelli’s lion and fox
Sonny Lo says citizens would probably want their next chief executive to be both capable and an effective intermediary between the city and Beijing
Although Hong Kong’s chief executive election will take place next March, much of the local media is already hunting for potential candidates. Recent remarks by outgoing Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing and Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah, indicating they may enter the race, have sparked excited debate.
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What kind of chief executive do Hong Kong people want?
First, they must ask themselves whether, in Niccolo Machiavelli’s terms, they would prefer a leader who is like a lion or a fox, or both. Machiavelli said: “The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognise traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.”
In general, people want their ideal chief executive to have many different qualities. First, he or she must be competent and capable; that is, more lion than fox. But he or she also needs to be fox-like in being an effective intermediary between the central government and the people of Hong Kong. Thus, an “ideal” leader should be both a lion and a fox. And, as a safeguard, direct election of the chief executive should be implemented as soon as possible, to provide the necessary checks and balances for whoever takes charge.
The first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, was perhaps neither a lion nor a fox. As a former businessman, Tung tried to implement various reforms to protect the interests of the people. Due to difficult external circumstances, such as the Asian financial crisis, the sudden occurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome and the growing expectations of citizens, he became increasingly less popular.
The second chief executive, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, appeared to be a lion. He had significant experience, in the minds of those members of the Election Committee who supported him. However, he appeared to lack the “fox” element, given the controversies that dogged his second term.
