The mass resignation of the pan democrats in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council over the disqualification of four of its members who failed to uphold their terms of the Basic Law is indicative of how immature the elected members of the legislature are.
They were elected by a wide cross-section of 2.2 million voters in the community in five electoral districts and 20 by their peers from functional constituencies to be their representatives in the legislature to ensure their well-being and to keep a check on the Administration’s expenditures and monitor its performance. Instead they have taken a moral high ground for the sake of international publicity and condemnation against Hong Kong to further the cause of misinformation. They care nought for their constituents.
On Nov 11, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government unseated lawmakers Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung Kai- cheong because they were deemed unfit for the post after the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress clarified the Basic Law’s stipulation on the eligibility of Hong Kong lawmakers. They had already been disqualified from participating in the next LegCo election, originally scheduled for Sept 6 but postponed to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
At a press conference that day, the four appeared pleased with the disqualifications by weaponizing it to demonize both the central and HKSAR governments. In unison they claimed they were sacked by Beijing because of their fight for democracy in Hong Kong. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not once have they mentioned or moved any motions to implement universal suffrage in Hong Kong as enshrined in the Basic Law. Nothing. Instead they have used every resource available to filibuster or impede any movement by the government or the pro-establishment camp to further the development of Hong Kong.
Their motives on the Legislative Council have been clear. Their trips to the United States and United Kingdom, and meetings with visiting politicians during the past two years to support the vicious riots, which came close to destroying Hong Kong’s economy and terrorized its residents for nine months, are indicative of their sinister motives to denigrate China through destabilizing Hong Kong. Alvin Yeung let the cat out of the bag when he said the four had the support of Hong Kong’s youth. Was he hinting of inciting them to take to the streets again and do an encore of the 2019 violent social unrest?
Evidently, the sackings have nothing to do with democracy; that’s a smoke screen. They were sacked because they failed in their basic duties to uphold the Basic Law and their pledge of allegiance to Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region of China. The NPCSC spelled out a list of reasons why a lawmaker could be stripped of their seat, including asking external forces to interfere in Hong Kong’s affairs or refusing to accept China’s sovereignty over the SAR. Ever since the umbrella movement in 2014, there has been ample press coverage of the offending legislators meeting US congress and senior officials (Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo) seeking support for their perverse anti-government plans.
And like a flock of sheep wandering aimlessly in the LegCo chambers, the 15 pan-dem lawmakers decided to follow the four, and on Nov 12 announced they would from the legislature. However, two pan-dems, Cheng Chung-tai of Civic Passion and Medical sector representative Pierre Chan, refrained from following suit. Once they have resigned, the 15 plus the four disqualified legislators will no longer be legislators and will forfeit their HK$101,000 a month pay packet plus millions in office expenses, medical allowances, gratuity, and other fringe benefits. Their constituents will be left foundering with no one to represent them on the Legislative Council.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Chang Yuet-ngor said there were still enough legislators to form a quorum and all meetings will go ahead as planned, including full council and committee meetings. She brushed off press questions that with virtually no opposition, government bills will be merely “rubber stamped” by the pro-establishment camp.
“There are many occasions that even amongst the so-called pro-establishment members, that our proposals did not get through, either because they said that it was not good enough or they said that this was not welcomed by members in their respective constituencies. I clearly will say that it is unfair to the pro-establishment members that once the 19 members left the Legislative Council, then they will become a ‘rubber stamp’ of the HKSAR Government. That certainly would not happen,” Lam told the press.
A government spokesman told China Daily on Nov 11 that there would be no by-elections to fill the void created by the resignations. Lam reiterated: “Under Basic Law Article 75, we could continue to have Legislative Council members – the statutory quorum is no less than half, so for the Legislative Council consisting of 70 members, we need no less than half, that is 35 members. It is clear that there should still be more than 35 members to enable the Legislative Council to operate in the coming months.”
The author is a former chief information officer for the Hong Kong government, a public relations and media consultant and veteran journalist.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
