Provisional Legislature meeting

YESTERDAY was a bad day for Hong Kong, according to Governor Chris Patten.

'The organisation that met . . . in Shenzhen has no legitimacy, no credibility and no authority in Hong Kong. I hope it will not embarrass Hong Kong too much,' he said.

The election of Rita Fan as president was greeted with disapproval by legislators from the pro-democracy camp.

The Frontier's Emily Lau Wai-hing said Mrs Fan's strident stance might politicise the presidency.

'The president should be politically neutral like an umpire,' Ms Lau said.

'She might change the role of the president from speaker to a super leader of the body.'