Deserted Legco forced to shut up shop early
The first regular Legislative Council meeting of the new session was cut short yesterday, after many lawmakers left early to canvass votes for colleagues in district council elections.
Legco president Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai apologised to the public last night, saying the incident had affected the image of the legislature. She said people should not link the closure to a proposed rise in lawmakers' salaries.
After a full day of meetings, legislators were about to vote on a motion about convention and exhibition facilities just before 9pm when Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan called for a quorum count.
Under Legco rules, at least 30 lawmakers - half of the council - must be present at any full meeting or it should be adjourned.
But with only 24 lawmakers present in the chamber following a 15-minute wait, Mrs Fan adjourned the meeting until next Wednesday.
The vast majority of those present were from the Liberal Party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and the Civic Party.
Of the Democrats' nine members, only Mr Ho and Fred Li Wah-ming were present in the chamber when the meeting was cut short.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Ho said he regretted the absence of his party colleagues.
'I did not realise they had all left. Election time is really a stressful time,' Mr Ho said.
It was the third time a meeting was cut short in this four-year Legco term that began in 2004.
The two previous occasions were deliberate - when parties stayed away over political disputes.
