Officials' refusal to compensate legislators thrown out by China at the handover next July was due to 'political expediency', it was claimed yesterday.
The allegation came from the Legislative Council's legal adviser Jonathan Daw.
He said it was untrue, as the Government claimed, that legislators were not necessarily entitled to a full four-year term.
The Government had argued that a National People's Congress' decision in 1990 provided that, in certain circumstances, Legco members might not continue in office beyond June 30, 1997.
'To indemnify any member losing office against personal financial loss is conditional on the presumption the council will continue for a four-year term, but that presumption may be displaced by exceptional circumstances,' the Government said.
It ruled that the change of sovereignty was an exceptional circumstance.
But at yesterday's Legco constitutional affairs panel, Mr Daw said legislators thrown out by China should be compensated.
