Misplaced Pages

#424575

46-616: In the 1990s, the Hong Kong Government reclaimed the bay in order to construct links to the new Chek Lap Kok airport and the new town of Tung Chung , including the North Lantau Highway, Airport Express and Tung Chung line. The government also built a depot for rolling stock used on MTR lines. The highway was completed in 1997, and the MTR lines in 1998 (in time for the opening of the new airport). Soon afterwards,

92-464: A cabinet , a group of ministers or secretaries who lead executive departments. In diplomacy , "head of government" is differentiated from " head of state ". The authority of a head of government, such as a president, chancellor, or prime minister, and the relationship between that position and other state institutions, such as the relation between the head of state and of the legislature, varies greatly among sovereign states, depending largely on

138-467: A figurehead who may take the role of chief executive on limited occasions, either when receiving constitutional advice from the head of government or under specific provisions in a constitution. In presidential republics or in absolute monarchies , the head of state is also usually the head of government. The relationship between that leader and the government, however, can vary greatly, ranging from separation of powers to autocracy , according to

184-477: A 'day to day' role in parliament, answering questions and defending the government on the 'floor of the House', while in semi-presidential systems they may not be required to play as much of a role in the functioning of parliament. In many countries, the head of government is commissioned by the head of state to form a government, on the basis of the strength of party support in the lower house; in some other states,

230-611: A key role in ensuring harmony in policy formulation and implementation. The current Secretary is Chan Kwok-ki . The Financial Secretary is responsible for preparing the Government Budget in accordance with the Chief Executive's agenda in the policy address, ensuring fiscal policies are in accordance to the Public Finance Ordinance. The secretary has to estimate of revenue and expenditure before

276-674: A parliamentary dissolution, in contrast to other countries where this is a cabinet decision, with the Prime Minister just one member voting on the suggestion. In Israel , while the Government is nominally a collegiate body with a primus inter pares role for the Prime Minister , the Israeli Prime Minister is the dominant figure in the executive branch in practice. The Prime Minister of Sweden , under

322-758: Is alleged that the increased personalisation of leadership in a number of states has led to heads of government becoming themselves "semi-presidential" figures, due in part to media coverage of politics that focuses on the leader and his or her mandate, rather than on parliament; and to the increasing centralisation of power in the hands of the head of government. Such allegations have been made against three former British Prime ministers: Margaret Thatcher , Tony Blair , and Boris Johnson . They were also made against Italian prime ministers Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Renzi , Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau and Federal Chancellor of West Germany (later all of Germany), Helmut Kohl , when in power. The head of government

368-460: Is considered the principal minister under an otherwise styled head of state , as minister — Latin for servants or subordinates—is a common title for members of a government (but many other titles are in use, e.g. chancellor and secretary of state). Formally the head of state can also be the head of government as well ( ex officio or by ad hoc cumulation, such as a ruling monarch exercising all powers himself) but otherwise has formal precedence over

414-407: Is currently employed is Switzerland but other countries such as Uruguay have employed it in the past . This system is described as the directorial system . See Head of state for further explanation of these cases. In parliamentary systems, government functions along the following lines: All of these requirements directly impact the head of government's role. Consequently, they often play

460-791: Is elected by an Election Committee , a 1500-member electoral college consisting of individuals and bodies (i.e. special interest groups) elected within 40 functional constituencies defined in the Basic Law. The winner is then appointed to the position by the Premier of the People's Republic of China . The Chief Executive is responsible for implementing the Basic Law, signing bills and budgets, promulgating laws, making decisions on government policies, and issuing Executive Orders. Then Chief Executive, Carrie Lam , began exercise of her unfettered residual powers of law-making by decree on 4 October 2019, under

506-717: Is headed by the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong , who is the most senior principal official of the Government. The Chief Secretary and the other secretaries jointly oversee the administration of Hong Kong, give advice to the Chief Executive as members of the Executive Council , and are accountable for their actions and policies to the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council . Under the " one country, two systems " constitutional principle,

SECTION 10

#1732791580425

552-590: Is led by the Secretary for Justice (Hong Kong) ( Legal Department and Attorney General before the transfer of sovereignty). The Secretary for Justice (SJ) is responsible for all prosecutions in Hong Kong, drafting all government legislation, and advising other policy bureaux and departments of the government on a vast array of legal issues. The department consists of the Prosecutions Division,

598-466: Is often provided with an official residence , often in the same fashion as heads of state often are. The name of the residence is often used as a metonym or alternative title for 'the government' when the office is politically the highest, e.g. in the UK "Downing Street announced today…" Well-known official residences of heads of government include: Similarly, heads of government of federal entities below

644-471: Is set to rise by 6.7 percent to HK$ 776.9 billion (US$ 99.23 billion). The Chief Executive is the head of the Region and head of government of Hong Kong. The Basic Law designates a system of governance led by a Chief Executive and an Executive Council , under the principles of separation of powers , with a two-tiered system of semi-representative government and an independent judiciary. The Chief Executive

690-564: The 1974 Instrument of Government , is a constitutional office with all key executive powers either directly at his or her disposal or indirectly through the collegial Government , whose members are all appointed and dismissed at the Prime Minister's sole discretion. Under the unwritten British constitution , the prime minister 's role has evolved, based often on the individual's personal appeal and strength of character, as contrasted between, for example, Winston Churchill as against Clement Attlee , Margaret Thatcher as against John Major . It

736-822: The Emergency Regulations Ordinance , Chapter 241 of the Laws of Hong Kong, bypassing the legislature. As of 1 July 1997, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong officially replaced the Governor of Hong Kong as the head of the government for Hong Kong following the handover . The Chief Executive is assisted by the Chief Secretary for Administration and the Financial Secretary , and other secretaries who heads policy bureaus. The secretaries for each government affairs are appointed by

782-443: The Financial Secretary . The Chief Secretary for Administration is customarily considered to be the leader of the bureaux. Head of government This is an accepted version of this page In the executive branch, the head of government is the highest or the second-highest official of a sovereign state , a federated state , or a self-governing colony , autonomous region , or other government who often presides over

828-656: The General Secretary of the Communist Party is the supreme leader, serving as de facto head of state and government. In China , the de jure head of government is the Premier . The Chinese president is legally a ceremonial office , but the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party ( top leader in a one-party system) has always held this office since 1993 except for the months of transition . In directorial systems ,

874-543: The Legislative Council each year, and to deliver an annual budget to the Legislative Council, outlining the government's budgetary proposals and moving the appropriation bills. The current FS is Paul Chan Mo-po . The Secretary for Justice is responsible for prosecutions and legal matters and heads the Department of Justice . The current Secretary for Justice is Paul Lam . The hierarchical structure of

920-479: The State Council of China on the nomination of the Chief Executive. The Secretary for Justice (SJ) is responsible for legal matters of the government and prosecution for criminal cases in the territory. The Independent Commission Against Corruption and Audit Commission report directly to the Chief Executive. The current Chief Executive is John Lee . The Executive Council decides on matters of policy,

966-410: The de facto political leader. A skilled head of government like 19th-century German statesman Otto von Bismarck , Minister President of Prussia and later Chancellor of Germany under Emperor / King Wilhelm I , serves as an example showing that possession of formal powers does not equal political influence. In some cases, the head of state is a figurehead whilst the head of the government leads

SECTION 20

#1732791580425

1012-534: The prime minister , who is the head of government. However, the president must choose someone who can act effectively as an executive, but who also enjoys the support of France's legislature, the National Assembly , to be able to pass legislation. In some cases, the head of state may represent one political party but the majority in the National Assembly is of a different party. Given that

1058-541: The Chief Executive from within or outside the civil service . The system was portrayed as the key to solve previous administrative problems, notably the co-operation of high-ranking civil servants with the Chief Executive. Under the new system, there are 3 Secretaries of department and 13 Directors of Bureaux. The system is aimed at raising the accountability of the civil service, so the political appointees are responsible for all their job aspects and will step down if they make any failure. All heads of bureaux became members of

1104-757: The Civil Division, the Legal Policy Division, the Law Drafting Division, the International Law Division and the Administration and Development Division. The current fifteen policy bureaux is a result of the 2022 government reorganisation , which added, expanded, and re-titled several bureaux. Currently, nine bureaux reports to the Chief Secretary for Administration , and the other six reports to

1150-770: The Executive Council, and came directly under the Chief Executive instead of the Chief Secretary or the Financial Secretary. The government released a report on the Further Development of the Political Appointment System on 17 October 2007. Two new layers, deputy directors of Bureaux and Assistants to Directors (AD) would be added to the political appointments. Each Director of Bureau will be assisted by

1196-631: The Government is, in law, exclusively in charge of Hong Kong's internal affairs and specified external relations . The Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC), from which the Hong Kong government is financially independent, is responsible for Hong Kong SAR's defence and foreign policy , while decisions made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress can, in certain circumstances, override territorial judicial processes. The Hong Kong SAR government replaced

1242-536: The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government ) is the executive authorities of Hong Kong . It was established on 1 July 1997, following the handover of Hong Kong . The Chief Executive and the principal officials are appointed by the State Council of the People's Republic of China in accordance with the outcome of local processes. The Government Secretariat

1288-627: The Ombudsman and Public Service Commission report to the Chief Executive directly. The Human Resources Planning and Poverty Co-ordination Office, Administration Wing and Legal Aid Department are under the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office. The Office of the Government Economist and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority are under the Financial Secretary's Office. The Department of Justice

1334-406: The administration's own admission, the announcements were poorly handled, and there was widespread criticism of several key aspects, namely the nationality and experience of appointees, the transparency of the recruitment process and the level of officials' salaries. The Chief Secretary for Administration is responsible for assisting the Chief Executive in the supervision of policy bureaux and plays

1380-475: The constitution (or other basic laws) of the particular state. In semi-presidential systems , the head of government may answer to both the head of state and the legislature with the specifics provided by each country's constitution. A modern example is the present French government, which originated as the French Fifth Republic in 1958. In France, the president , the head of state, appoints

1426-411: The democratic model, where there is an elected legislative body checking the head of government, include the following. Some of these titles relate to governments below the national level (e.g. states or provinces). In a broader sense, a head of government can be used loosely when referring to various comparable positions under a dominant head of state (especially is the case of ancient or feudal eras, so

Siu Ho Wan - Misplaced Pages Continue

1472-512: The executive responsibilities of the head of government are spread among a group of people. A prominent example is the Swiss Federal Council , where each member of the council heads a department and also votes on proposals relating to all departments. The most common title for a head of government is Prime Minister . This is used as a formal title in many states, but may also be an informal generic term to refer to whichever office

1518-691: The expiry of the Chief Executive's term of office. In a system popularly called the Principal Officials Accountability System introduced by then Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa in July 2002, all principal officials, including the Chief Secretary, Financial Secretary, Secretary for Justice, heads of government bureaux and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office would no longer be politically neutral career civil servants, but would all be political appointees chosen by

1564-492: The former British Hong Kong Government (1842–1997) in 1997. Despite gradually evolving, the general governmental structure was inherited from British Hong Kong . On February 28, 2024, the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, Paul Chan , announced the Special Administrative Region’s (SAR) government budget for the fiscal year 2024 to 2025 (“2024–25 Budget”). Under the 2024-25 budget, total government expenditure

1610-834: The government constructed a new tunnel link from Siu Ho Wan to Discovery Bay , which was opened on 27 May 2000 and is known as the Discovery Bay Tunnel . 22°18′46″N 113°59′50″E  /  22.3128°N 113.9971°E  / 22.3128; 113.9971 This Hong Kong location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Government of Hong Kong High Court District Court Magistrates' Court Special courts and tribunals: Chief Executive Elections Legislative elections District council elections Consular missions in Hong Kong Hong Kong–China relations Hong Kong–Taiwan relations The Government of

1656-621: The government secretariat and government departments in Chief Executive John Lee 's administration since 1 July 2022 is as follows: The Office of the Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring the Chief Executive receives the best advice and support for formulating and co-ordinating policies. It is headed by the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, who would sit in meetings of the Executive Council. The Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office , Independent Commission Against Corruption , Audit Commission , Office of

1702-465: The head of government and other ministers, whether he is their actual political superior (ruling monarch, executive president) or rather theoretical or ceremonial in character (constitutional monarch, non-executive president). Various constitutions use different titles, and even the same title can have various multiple meanings, depending on the constitutional order and political system of the state in question. In addition to prime minister, titles used for

1748-543: The head of government is directly elected by parliament. Many parliamentary systems require ministers to serve in parliament, while others ban ministers from sitting in parliament (they must resign on becoming ministers). Heads of government are typically removed from power in a parliamentary system by Constitutions differ in the range and scope of powers granted to the head of government. Some older constitutions; for example, Australia's 1900 text , and Belgium's 1830 text ; do not mention their prime ministerial offices at all,

1794-404: The introduction of bills to the Legislative Council and the drafting of subordinate legislation. The Council consists of 21 principal officials and 16 non-official members. All members are appointed by the Chief Executive from among the senior officials of the executive authorities, members of the Legislative Council , and other influential public personnels. They serve for a period no longer than

1840-426: The level of the sovereign state (often without an actual head of state, at least under international law) may also be given an official residence, sometimes used as an opportunity to display aspirations of statehood: Usually, the residence of the heads of government is not as prestigious and grand as that of the head of state, even if the head of state only performs ceremonial duties. Even the formal representative of

1886-424: The majority party has greater control over state funding and primary legislation , the president is in effect forced to choose a prime minister from the opposition party to ensure an effective, functioning legislature. In this case, known as cohabitation , the prime minister, along with the cabinet, controls domestic policy, with the president's influence largely restricted to foreign affairs. In communist states ,

Siu Ho Wan - Misplaced Pages Continue

1932-466: The offices became a de facto political reality without a formal constitutional status. Some constitutions make a Prime Minister primus inter pares ( first among equals ) and that remains the practical reality for the Prime Minister of Belgium and the Prime Minister of Finland . Other states however, make their head of government a central and dominant figure within the cabinet system; Ireland's Taoiseach , for example, alone can decide when to seek

1978-408: The particular system of the government that has been chosen, won, or evolved over time. In most parliamentary systems , including constitutional monarchies , the head of government is the de facto political leader of the government, and is answerable to at least one chamber of the legislature. Although there is often a formal reporting relationship to a head of state , the latter usually acts as

2024-445: The ruling party. In some cases a head of government may even pass on the title in hereditary fashion. Such titles include the following: In some models the head of state and head of government are one and the same. These include: An alternative formula is a single chief political body (e.g., presidium ) which collectively leads the government and provides (e.g. by turns) the ceremonial Head of state. The only state in which this system

2070-409: The term "head of government", in this case, could be considered a contradiction in terms). In this case, the prime minister serves at the pleasure of the monarch and holds no more power than the monarch allows. Some such titles are diwan, mahamantri , pradhan , wasir or vizier . However, just because the head of state is the de jure dominant position does not mean that he/she will not always be

2116-520: The two new appointees and constitute the political team, who would ostensibly work closely with bureau secretaries and top civil servants in implementing the Chief Executive 's policy agenda in an executive-led government. As with the principal officials, these two new posts may be drawn from within or outside the civil service, and appointees may or may not have a political background. Eight new Under-secretaries were named on 20 May, and nine Political Assistant appointments were announced on 22 May 2008. By

#424575