Lawmakers expelled after waving red cards at Finance Committee chairman

Five pan-democratic lawmakers were thrown out of a Legislative Council Finance Committee meeting yesterday as discussion over the government's funding requests continued amid chaos.

The lawmakers were expelled after they surrounded the committee's much-criticised chairman, Ng Leung-sing, holding large red cards demanding his resignation.

Ng has been engulfed in criticism and accusations that he breached the rules of procedure twice to push through a vote last week on preliminary financing for a controversial new-town development plan for the northeastern New Territories.

At yesterday's six-hour meeting, all of the pan-democratic legislators placed red cards at the front of their desks to show their determination to remove Ng as committee chairman.

A request by the Labour Party's Lee Cheuk-yan that his motion of no confidence against Ng be processed before other discussions was turned down by Ng, saying he had arranged a special meeting on July 9 for that motion.

Disappointed, Lee, his fellow party member Cyd Ho Sau-lan, the Democratic Party's James To Kun-sun, the Civic Party's Claudia Mo Man-ching and NeoDemocrat Gary Fan Kwok-wai leapt from their seats to surround Ng with their red cards, shouting "Ng Leung-sing resign", and "Invalidate the northeast New Territories plan vote".

After a 10-minute break, Ng expelled Lee. But all five lawmakers were expelled when the group again surrounded Ng.