'Legco Should Pass Livelihood Items By Circular'

Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok said on Thursday that Legco should handle urgent items like hospital construction funding by circulating the relevant papers among lawmakers, being as meetings can't be held at the damaged council complex.

However, Kwok's ally, pro-democracy camp convenor Claudia Mo, strongly objected to the idea.

She said it would set a dangerous precedent because their rivals, who form the majority in Legco, may think other controversial matters could be regarded as "non-controversial" in future.

Kwok said lawmakers and Legco’s finance committee chairman, Chan Kin-por, need to discuss how this could be done.

“For the livelihood items on the finance committee, we wish there is a way in which we could resolve those non-controversial ones, so that the livelihood of the Hong Kong people will not be affected, or the interference will be kept to a minimum,” he told RTHK’s Damon Pang.

“If we do it by way of a circular, we have to adhere by the rules of procedure, because so long as one member objects, then we cannot do it by circulation,” he added.

Kwok, a member of the Legco Commission, said on Thursday that it is impractical to hold Legco meetings at alternative venues.

The lawmaker said he thinks the Legislative Council complex is constitutionally the only place for such meetings.

The venue was badly damaged in Monday’s protest, when hundreds of anti-extradition bill protesters stormed into the building and vandalised the facilities there.

Legco president Andrew Leung said on Tuesday that all events at the venue have been cancelled for two weeks, effectively allowing legislators to begin their summer break early.

Kwok said Legco staff should now focus on repairs, so that meetings can be held there again in October when the council's summer recess ends.

But Kwok said the pro-democracy camp wants to see non-controversial funding items –including the building of hospitals and Civil Service pay rises – passed as soon as possible.

The lawmaker also quoted some unnamed commission members as saying that in light of the recent damages, Legco security should be beefed up by adding more security guards, another layer of metal barricades and some bullet-proof glass.

"That would be useless! When is everyone going to learn a lesson?" Kwok said.

______________________________