Former council members and alumni of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have called on Chief Executive John Lee to put an end to the infighting at the institution, saying they had lost faith in the council's chairperson Priscilla Wong.

They wrote a letter to Lee, who is also the university's chancellor, saying the council had appointed several interim vice-presidents without consulting HKU president and vice-chancellor Zhang Xiang.

They said the council is tasked with giving advice and monitoring HKU's management, but does not directly deal with administrative affairs, adding the body's move had sparked conflicts in HKU and affected its normal operation.

They urged Lee to step in promptly, or people would have the impression the government had appointed the council chairperson to control HKU and sideline the president, which would harm Hong Kong's international image.

One of the letter's signatories, former executive councillor Fanny Law, told RTHK she "doesn't have an opinion on who should be the vice-presidents," but she cared about the procedures, HKU's reputation and the city's image.

New People's Party legislator Regina Ip, who sits on HKU's court, an overseeing and legislative body comprising university and lay members, said she hopes the conflict can be settled soon.

"Personally I think vice-presidents are part of the president's team. No matter who has the power to appoint them, they should consult the president thoroughly. It's better if the president gets along with the vice-presidents and they can work together," she said.

In response, the Chief Executive's Office said Lee had asked the Education Bureau to comprehend the situation before reporting to him, adding that people would expect HKU, a successful university, to have good governance.

Zhang had earlier criticised the council's action in an email to HKU teaching staff and students, saying it violated established procedures and severely undermined the institution's "century-old academic autonomy".