Hong Kong legislator Aron Kwok Wai-keung shows a sign saying“Please faithfully perform your duties” to opposition lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-wang during a Legislative Council House Committee meeting on Friday. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG-Opposition lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang came under renewed criticism on Friday after the Legislative Council’s House Committee again failed to elect a chairman following an extra 40-minute meeting presided over by Kwok, the 15th so far in the legislative year.
LegCo President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen expressed deep disappointment and regret that the deadlock remains unsolved after more than six months due to the opposition’s filibustering.
He said the impasse has severely impeded the legislature’s operations and the proper exercise of its constitutional functions under the Basic Law. “The situation is far from satisfactory, falling short of public expectations,” Leung said.
Hong Kong is facing unprecedented challenge and economic hardship, with only three months to go before the LegCo’s prorogation, Leung said. All bills will lapse at the end of the current term, resulting in a serious wastage of public resources, he added.
Leung appealed to all lawmakers to put aside their differences, act in the best interests of the community, fulfill their constitutional duties, and work out a solution sensibly to allow the legislature to function effectively.
Current chairperson of the House Committee Starry Lee Wai-king has written to all legislators to seek ways of ending the deadlock.
Tam Yiu-chung, a Hong Kong member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and a former local legislator, said Kwok, who has been chairing the committee meetings, and his peers in the opposition camp have been acting “shamelessly”.
He said that under the Rules of Procedure, lawmakers can table a motion of no confidence in Kwok, or amend the procedure to replace him. But, such a move could be used by the opposition to further impede meetings.
Lawmakers might have to wait and see what action the LegCo president might take to enable normal operations to resume, he said.
Tam hopes the public can voice their opposition against Kwok’s wrongdoings, as the House Committee’s malfunctioning would affect the benefits of Hong Kong people.
Several legislators of the pro-establishment camp joined in criticizing Kwok for paralyzing the council’s operations by filibustering and thwarting its proceedings.
Legislator and convener of the pro-establishment camp Martin Liao Cheung-kong described the situation as “extremely abnormal” with a malfunctioning House Committee preventing LegCo from fulfilling its obligations stipulated in the Basic Law.
Lawmaker and member of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions Michael Luk Chung-hung urged Kwok and the opposition camp to stop paralyzing LegCo and the city, and allow the process of electing the House Committee chairman to proceed without hindrance.
An important function of the House Committee, which consists of all lawmakers, except the president, is to scrutinize bills and subsidiary legislation tabled at council meetings for approval.
Failure to elect a chairperson has resulted in 14 bills being held up and the expiration of 89 pieces of legislation, which address issues relating to various social and economic sectors, including hotels, insurance, taxation and public affairs, as well as intellectual property rights.
