The Legislative Council president courted controversy for the second day in a row when he postponed a meeting on a controversial electoral bill for half an hour because of bad weather.
Tsang Yok-sing later admitted he had not been sensitive enough to the opinions of fellow legislators. Pan-democrats accused him of making a political decision.
Tsang announced his decision to delay the council session from 9am to 9.30am to ensure there were enough members in the chamber and therefore avoid a third suspension of a meeting on the bill. An amber rainstorm warning went out soon afterwards, at 8.55am.
Lawmakers were to vote on some of the more than 1,300 amendments to the bill filed by People Power lawmakers Albert Chan Wai-yip and Wong Yuk-man, who oppose its measure banning lawmakers who quit midterm from standing in a by-election for six months.
Tsang said he had been told that many lawmakers had called the Legco Secretariat, saying they might be late because of traffic problems. Only two pro-government lawmakers, Sophie Leung Lau Yau-fun and Phillip Wong Yu-hong, later admitted doing so.
Chan received a text message from the secretariat at 8.39am, telling him of the delay. He accused Tsang of doing the government's bidding and being a 'corrupt referee'.
Civic Party lawmaker Audrey Eu Yuet-mee was convinced Tsang had intended to ensure a quorum was met, but that should not be his job.