JEFFIE LAM AND STUART LAU
PUBLISHED : Friday, 16 October, 2015, 12:00am
UPDATED : Friday, 16 October, 2015, 12:00am
Pan-democratic lawmaker Dr Kenneth Chan yesterday at Legco in Admiralty.Photo: Felix Wong
More conflicts are expected in the city's legislature after pan-democrats were beaten to the chairmanship of all but two of 22 panels and committees ahead of the last session in the chamber's four-year term.
The pro-establishment camp, which holds 43 seats in the 70-strong legislature, denied it had acted "peremptorily" as parties opposing it had suggested, and stated that a fixed number of chairmanships had already been set aside for pan-democrats.
In yesterday's elections, the Beijing-loyalist camp secured the chairmanship of 16 of 18 panels in the Legislative Council.
Dr Joseph Lee Kok-long and Peter Cheung Kwok-che were the only pan-democrats elected as chairmen, respectively to helm the health services and welfare panels. Both panels are generally considered uncontroversial.
Education sector legislator Ip Kin-yuen, Civic Party member Dennis Kwok and his party colleague Dr Kenneth Chan Ka-lok were elected vice-chairmen of the education, legal services and environment panels.
Labour Party stalwart Lee Cheuk-yan said: "The pro-establishment camp wanted to exert full control of the legislature … so that they can help protect the government."
Lee said the panel chairmen might deny pan-democrats' calls to raise certain items of public interest for discussion. If that happened, he said, it would be "a huge loss for the public as now Legco's role of monitoring the government has been eroded".
Before yesterday's results, the Beijing-loyalist camp had won the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship of the House Committee, Finance Committee and the latter's two subcommittees on establishment and public works after pan-democrats vowed to "stage a war" against them to win the posts.
Ip Kwok-him of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong said pan-democrats had themselves to blame. "We were sincere," he said. "But they declared war."
Ip said the strained ties "had already been there" since last year when pan-democrats suddenly registered for some committees at the last minute and successfully assumed chairmanship positions. "Ties could hardly deteriorate further," he added.
But a pan-democratic source said allowing Beijing loyalists to "monopolise" the council might yield other effects.
"The election results demonstrate how rotten the current system is and how imperious the pro-establishment lawmakers are," the pan-democrat said.
Chinese University political scientist Dr Ma Ngok said the pro-establishment camp had always hoped to secure full control of the legislature even if pan-democrats had not declared "war" as elections approached.
"By securing leadership, they can stop pan-democrats from further embarrassing the government, thus eventually affecting their performance in the upcoming races," he said.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1868210/hong-kong-pan-democrats-ready-further-battle-after-pro
