Carrie Lam ‘respects’ checks and balances in Hong Kong’s political system
Chief executive responds to attack by Beijing official against tactics of pan-democrats, including filibustering in the Legislative Council and radical advocacy of Hong Kong independence
The chief executive said she respected the city’s system of checks and balances after a Beijing official claimed Hong Kong’s opposition camp was obstructing the administration and posed the greatest obstacle to the city’s democratic development.
Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who has vowed to mend the rift between the executive and legislative branches, was put in an embarrassing position after the Deputy Secretary General of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee and head of the Basic Law Committee, Li Fei, blasted the pan-democrats.
In an interview with a mainland magazine published on Thursday, Li said opposition forces were the crucial reason behind chaos in Hong Kong, including a failure to enact national security legislation and introduce national education, filibustering in the Legislative Council and radical advocacy of Hong Kong independence.
“Their tactics are to constantly stir up political disputes, create trouble and slow down the work of the Hong Kong government, incite the public’s dissatisfaction with the administration and prompt people to lose confidence in ‘one country two systems’, in order to achieve their political aims,”Li said.
He added that the opposition had tried to threaten Beijing by initiating the Occupy movement in 2014 and described their acts as “the greatest obstacle” to the development of a democratic system.
“The central and Hong Kong governments and the city’s public will never give up their stance and compromise. It is foreseeable that this struggle will continue.” Li warned.