Former Executive Council members say advisory body is not a 'jury'
Current and former executive councillors cast doubt on chief executive's comments as television free-to-air licensing row continues
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's claim that the Executive Council acted like a jury when it considered free-to-air television licence applications was a "stupid analogy", a former member of the government's top advisory body said.
Allen Lee Peng-fei was one of several current and former Exco members to dismiss Leung's explanation for Exco's refusal to reveal details of its rationale for snubbing Hong Kong Television Network's licence bid while approving two other applications from pay-television players PCCW and i-Cable.
It is understood that non-official Exco members discussed Leung's comments, made in an interview on Saturday, at their weekly lunch yesterday.
Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, a non-official Exco member and New People's Party lawmaker, said yesterday that Leung's analogy was "not exactly appropriate", not least because jury members were selected at random, rather than being appointed
Unlike most courts, Ip added, Exco was not subject to any right of appeal.
"If [Leung] has to compare Exco with a court, [he] can only liken it to the Court of Final Appeal," she said.
Lee was more blunt in his criticism, saying that while Exco's discussions were private, a court heard arguments in public.
