Beijing, Pan-dems Lock Horns Over Legco Operation

Beijing has stepped up the rhetoric against the opposition camp, accusing pan-democratic lawmakers of misconduct and disrupting Legislative Council proceedings.

At the centre of the dispute is months of filibustering at the Legco House Committee, and the failure by the committee to choose a chairman since October.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said filibustering by the pro-democracy camp disrupted the normal operations of the legislature.

A spokesman also accused some opposition lawmakers of abusing their power and deliberately delayed the election process. It was pointed out that the House Committee has held 14 meetings without choosing a chairman.

The spokesman said this seriously affected normal Legco operations, and the legislative process involving many social, economic and livelihood issues could not proceed.

He also accused some opposition legislators, including legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok who's been presiding over the meetings, of ignoring public interests for their own political gain, leading to "mutual destruction".

The office went on to say opposition lawmakers might have breached their oaths of office and be guilty of misconduct in public office.

The statement said lawmakers should work with the government and every sector in society to overcome challenges in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kwok promptly hit back at those claims.

In a statement, he insisted the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and the central government's liaison office here do not have a say in the running of Legco, under the separation of powers for the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

He also said Beijing officials have no power to determine whether lawmakers have committed misconduct or breached Legco's Rules of Procedure. Kwok said that could only be decided in accordance with the Basic Law, local legislation and the Rules of Procedure.

Kwok also said the House Committee does not play a role in the government's anti-pandemic measures, pointing out that many of them, such as a ban on gatherings of more than four people, don't require the committee's involvement.

A pro-establishment lawmaker, Priscilla Leung of the Business and Professionals Alliance, says her camp is planning to take action against Kwok, such as putting forward a motion of no-confidence.

She also proposed amending the Rules of Procedure so that those engaged in excessive delaying tactics while they're in charge of meetings could be removed.

Leung also said the statements by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and the liaison office show Beijing is now running out of patience with what's been happening at Legco.

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