Pan-dems Slam Erick Tsang's 'ridiculous' Remarks

Pan-democrat lawmakers have accused Erick Tsang of trying to intimidate people into not taking part in this weekend's primary elections for candidates to run in the upcoming Legco elections.

The comments come after the Secretary for Mainland and Constitutional Affairs said the primaries might violate the elections ordinance and the national security law (NSL).

Speaking to reporters at Legco on Thursday, Democratic Party legislator Lam Cheuk-ting said that his own party has held primary elections for Legco candidates in the past, and there were no allegations that they had breached any laws.

Lam described Tsang's remarks as "ridiculous" and accused the official of deliberately misleading the public with the aim of deterring them from taking part in the primaries.

He also dismissed Tsang's suggestions that organisers may be colluding with foreign forces, and called on the official to provide reasons or proof that led him to raise such an allegation in the first place.

Council Front lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick said the Chinese Communist Party was concerned that Hong Kong people would use the polls to express dissatisfaction with the security law, and that the law was being used to intimidate people.

Chu urged people not to be afraid, saying "the more scared we are, the more we will allow fear to pervade".

Civic Party leader Alvin Yeung said: "Obviously, by citing the national security law and making allegations that such primary is in breach of any of the national security law is totally wrong."

"If you read carefully the intention of this primary, it has absolutely nothing to do with any of the provisions of the NSL, and so therefore I urge everybody to continue to participate and vote on the coming weekend."

Meanwhile, pro-establishment lawmaker and Basic Law Committee member Priscilla Leung said that while there's nothing wrong with holding primary elections, the pan-democrats were wrong to say they would veto all government bills after being elected.

Leung said that if the purpose is to paralyse Hong Kong instead of improving it, then that is a clear violation of the national security law and the Basic Law.