A look at the Legco debate expected to stretch into the evening as police and protesters gather
VIVIENNE CHOW AND STUART LAU
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 16 December, 2015, 12:52pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 16 December, 2015, 12:52pm
In a departure from last week’s debate, police will be stationed at each Legco exit. Photo: David Wong
Hong Kong’s Legislative Council is due to resume scrutiny of the controversial copyright bill this afternoon after last Wednesday’s meeting was adjourned when there were too few lawmakers in attendance. But ‘will they or won’t they’ is fast emerging to be the key question as behind-the-scenes negotiations are taking place among lawmakers. Here’s a quick look at what’s happening today:
1. What will take place in Legco?
As pan-democrats cut short discussion of the bill a week ago, there were three more oral questions left over and carried to this week’s sitting, bringing the total to nine. The question and answer session alone could take almost four hours as pan-democrats repeated their filibustering tactic adopted last week by asking for a quorum count. The Legco meeting was forced to be cut short last Wednesday because too few lawmakers were in the chamber following pan-democrats’ repeated quorum calls. Toda, the government is not taking any chances by deploying officers to be stationed at every exit of the Legislative Council complex to ensure the chamber has sufficient quorum, a step not seen last week. By noon, radical pan-democrat “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung had already asked for a quorum call twice. So, despite the repeated quorum calls and if the nine questions are fully addressed today, the copyright amendment bill will be formally tabled after a long consultation spanning nine years. But...
2. Will the bill even be debated?
Pan-democrats have vowed to table an adjournment motion this afternoon in a bid to further delay the second reading of the bill. “Pan-democrats would propose adjourning the meeting right after the seconding reading of the Copyrights Amendment Bill is resumed,” said lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen, of People Power, this morning.
Lawmakers are allowed to speak at most 15 minutes regarding the adjournment motion and it would require the majority of the support of lawmakers of the geographical and functional constituencies in order to be passed.
Chan called on lawmakers to actively speak, hoping they could again drag debate of the bill till tonight. He added that he alongside other lawmakers who pledged to stage a filibuster would continue to make quorum calls.
Radical People Power lawmaker Albert Chan Wai-yip and Labour Party’s Cyd Ho Sau-lan have also separately vowed to table a motion to adjourn the second reading of the bill. Apart from the 27 pan-democrats, the five Liberal Party lawmakers were also inclined to support the move, according to Liberal James Tien Pei-chun. That means three more votes are needed to reach a simple majority of the 69 lawmakers, excluding the Legco president.
All eyes are on the Federation of Trade Unions, whose veteran lawmaker Wong Kwok-kin said earlier this week that the government should withdraw the bill. It was understood the six FTU lawmakers – whose votes have become key to either side prevailing – were to discuss the matter this morning, and it would be a surprise if the typically pro-establishment FTU went against the government.
READ MORE: Hong Kong copyright bill explained: Why are people so concerned about this?
3. Who will be protesting on the ground?
Young people who are routine internet users were expected to be out in force to protest against the bill dubbed ‘Internet Article 23’ in a reference to the shelved anti-treason bill. Rally organisers Keyboard Frontline expected 10,000 people to turn out today. The group was formed in 2011 by netizens who sought to defend their rights in the digital realm when the copyright bill amendment was tabled at the time. The bill was eventually withdrawn in 2012. The return of the copyright bill controversy this year inspired others beyond the netizen group. More than 10 young political organisations such as Scholarism and groups formed after last year’s Occupy protests such as Youngspiration and Wan Chai Commons were calling on their supporters to join today’s protest. Gatherings opposing the bill were expected to begin at 4pm outside the Legco building in Admiralty.
4. What security measures are being taken?
The police stepped up security measures after radical protesters calling themselves “black bloc” members because they wore black clothing, sunglasses and face masks to conceal their identities were identified to have been linked to the blast outside Legco complex last Wednesday. A police source said the force would deploy 600 officers around the area of government headquarters while having 10 in the designated protest area. A Legco spokesman said traffic would be controlled at the Legco complex and only one entrance to the building would be open. Legco president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing said the number of people allowed inside the building to view the proceedings from the public gallery would be reduced from the usual 30 to just 10.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1891816/fireworks-or-stonewalling-over-hong-kongs-controversial
