Chaos breaks out ahead of a special meeting of the Legislative Council's House Committee in Hong Kong, May 8, 2020. (CALVIN NG/CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Chaos broke out in the Legislative Council chamber less than an hour before a 2.30 pm special meeting of the House Committee on Friday called by incumbent chairperson Starry Lee Wai-king, with opposition members trying to scuttle the proceeding. 

The opposition camp’s tendency to filibuster has already led the House Committee to fail again in electing a new chairperson on Friday morning despite persistent efforts for nearly seven months.

It was the committee’s seventeenth unsuccessful meeting held to elect a chairperson

It was the committee’s 17th unsuccessful meeting held to elect a chairperson. The impasse has caused 14 bills and more than 20 subsidiary regulations to be put on hold, causing a semi-paralysis of LegCo.

READ MORE: Special LegCo meeting to end impasse

Before the start of a special meeting in the afternoon, Lee, seated on the podium, was surrounded by a cordon of LegCo’s security guards and pro-establishments members for her protection against possible assaults from the opposition.

Opposition lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick climbs onto the wall behind the podium in a bid to break through the security cordon during a special meeting of the Legislative Council's House Committee, Hong Kong, May 8, 2020. (CALVIN NG/CHINA DAILY)

At some point, opposition lawmakers tried to push away the security guards to approach Lee. They also tried to barricade the meeting room’s entrance with chairs. Many placards were put up in front of opposition lawmakers’ seats in protests against the proceeding.

The meeting was called on the legal advices of two independent senior counsels to push ahead with processing bills currently held up for over six months during the impasse in electing a chairperson.

The scuffle in the LegCo chamber escalated after the meeting commenced at 2:30 pm. Opposition lawmakers shoved and jostled with establishment legislators and LegCo security guards.

Security guards eject opposition lawmaker Chan Chi-chuen from the Legislative Council chamber after he disrupted a special meeting of the House Committee in Hong Kong, May 8, 2020. (PARKER ZHANG/CHINA DAILY)

Opposition lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick climbed onto the wall behind the podium in a bid to break through the security cordon. Chan Chi-chuen, also an opposition member, made several unsuccessful attempts to push his way onto podium.

Opposition lawmakers also kept chanting slogans to interrupt Lee when she pleaded for calm and order. Amid the melee, at least six opposition lawmakers were expelled from the chamber by security guards and one was injured.

At around 3:15 pm, Lee adjourned the meeting for five minutes. She explained that the meeting was to inform the public of the legal advice on tackling impasse. She urged all legislators to stay calm and express their opinions in reasonable ways.

The chaotic scene was reminiscent of a similar occasion on May 11 last year, when opposition lawmakers tried to block the passage of the now-withdrawn extradition law amendment bill.

Abraham Shek Lai-him was besieged by opposition lawmakers and prevented from presiding over a meeting to select a chairman for the committee to deliberate the bill.

In that incident, the scuffling resulted in a fainted legislator having to be carried out of the chamber in a stretcher by medics called to the scene. Six opposition lawmakers were subsequently arrested for their involvements in the melee.

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In the latest impasse, most criticism focuses on opposition lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, who presided over all 17 meetings and allowed other opposition lawmakers to keep holding up the election by discussing issues unrelated to the exercise, such as the security of the Legislative Council Complex.

The special meeting on Friday afternoon was scheduled press ahead with some bills currently on the backburner.

Lee said as the incumbent chairperson, she had the authority to convene meetings 

Benjamin Yu Yuk-hoi and Suen Jenkin argued in their legal capacity that Lee, as the current chairperson, was already vested with stipulated powers to conduct the committee’s business of scrutinizing bills and subsidiary proposals tabled in the legislature. 

During the committee’s morning session on Friday, some opposition lawmakers challenged Lee’s authority to hold a special meeting.

Speaking to reporters later, Lee said as the incumbent chairperson, she had the authority to convene meetings to discuss all items on agenda save those pertaining to the election of a new chairperson. Lee pointed out she drew the authority from the Rules of Procedure and the House Rules.

Lee ruled out any conflict of interest in holding the special meeting saying it had nothing to do with electing the next chairperson of LegCo’s House Committee.