James To Warns Security Guards Not To Block Him

Democratic Party lawmaker James To has warned Legco security guards against stopping him from presiding over a meeting on Monday afternoon of a bills committee looking at extradition laws.

He said a circular issued by the Legco secretariat asking lawmakers to decide in written form whether pro-establishment lawmaker Abraham Shek should take over from him has no legal effect.

"Even an elected chairman has no power to order the passing of a paper resolution, if even one member opposes the paper circulation method to pass a resolution and demands a discussion at the meeting,” he said.

To said he would not react violently if he is prevented from presiding over the meeting, but he warned that people might commit a criminal offence if they try to stop him from discharging his duties.

“Nobody, under the Power and Privileges Ordinance, can block any councillor in their performance of their duty."

However, he said that as the debate would be about whether he or Shek should preside over the bills committee meeting, he would avoid any conflict of interest and let Leung Yiu-chung, who is the second most senior lawmaker in the council, moderate that discussion.