Ex-Legco Heads Seek To Break Fugitive Law Impasse

Former Legislative Council president Tsang Yok-sing suggested on Sunday the "only way out" of the current impasse surrounding the government's proposal to amend extradition laws would be to table the bill for vetting by the full council.

Tsang made his suggestion a day after chaos broke out in the legislature – with both the pan-democratic and pro-establishment camps battling over who has the right to preside over the bills committee tasked with vetting the amendments.

The pan-democrats say lawmaker James To has been elected chairman of the committee, but the pro-establishment camp and the Legco secretariat say the meeting where To was elected was not legitimate. That's because To had been unseated as the committee's presiding lawmaker by the chamber's House Committee, and replaced by Business and Professionals Alliance legislator Abraham Shek.

Tsang told a television programme that if the committee could not meet, then the bill should be tabled for scrutiny by the full council.

He said such committees are supposed to help save time for the full council, as lawmakers and officials could first scrutinise the bill separately. But he said this hadn't happened in this case, so it had failed to achieve its original purpose.

The committee is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday.

Another former Legco president, Andrew Wong, says that meeting should be cancelled to buy more time for both sides to hold a discussion.

Speaking at RTHK's City Forum, he urged lawmakers on both sides to look for ways to settle the dispute.

The pan-democratic camp's convenor, Claudia Mo, however said it's unlikely the two sides will sit down and discuss the matter.

"The chances could be very slim," she said. "The other side, the pro-Beijing side, just couldn't wait to call for the next meeting, first thing Tuesday morning. So it means they are doing everything they can to try to push this fugitives law through the legislature."