Need Time To Study Opposition's Demands: CE

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that she needs time to look into what exactly the pro-democracy camp is demanding over the government's extradition law amendment bill.

This came as opposition lawmakers called for talks involving the government and the pro-Beijing camp on the controversial bill. The pan-democrats say only talks can resolve the current deadlock which has seen two attempts to hold bills committee meetings end in confusion and chaos.

The pro-government side say they are open to the suggestion of three-way talks.

The Hong Kong leader said that the government will continue to listen to different views, but she didn’t say if the government will heed the call for the talks.

Lam, speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, said she wasn't sure about what happened in Legco on Tuesday morning, after another tussle as both the pro-government side and the opposition tried to hold separate bills committee meetings on extradition laws in the same room.

Lam said was regrettable that the committee has still not begun scrutinising the proposed changes to legislation, six weeks after the bill was tabled.

She described this as “unprecedented” and urged lawmakers to respect each other and fulfil their legislative duties.