Among the speakers was former secretary for security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, whose resignation in 2003 came under attack.

Under the system introduced by former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, secretaries are supposed to accept responsibility for the failure of policies that they propose.

But during yesterday's motion debate, moved by League of Social Democrats' chairman Raymond Wong Yuk-man, several speakers said secretaries not being required to give reasons for resigning was a flaw in the system.

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Among the speakers, Ip said she submitted her resignation for personal reasons before 500,000 people took to the streets on July 1, 2003, to protest at the Article 23 legislation she championed.

"But as a political appointee with a sense of honor and shame, I would certainly step down if I failed to promote a policy, and that led to public indignation," said Ip, now a legislator with the Savantas Policy Committee.

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung said the system worked, citing the public apology of then-secretary for financial services and the Treasury Frederick Ma Si-hang for the "penny stocks fiasco" and the resignation as secretary for health, welfare and food Yeoh Eng-kiong after the SARS outbreak.

Democratic Party vice chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing said the system should be scrapped, saying accountability would come with the election of a chief executive through universal suffrage.

Chim Pui-chung of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong said the accountability system was better than the colonial system, under which department heads were beyond reproach.

"When you legislators criticize others, you had better reflect on yourselves first," Chim added. "Many legislators are superficial."

Ip also said many political appointees were less experienced and less capable than administrative officers yet received higher salaries.

Furthermore, she said, there was no clear distinction between the responsibilities and duties of political appointees and civil servants.