Interim members rejected
Legislators-elect yesterday cast doubt over the eligibility of members of the interim body invited to attend the handover anniversary celebrations and new airport opening.
Cheung Man-kwong of the Democratic Party said members of the Provisional Legislative Council should not continue to represent the legislature after June 30.
'I will be surprised if they attend the celebrations on July 1 as provisional legislators. Their terms of office will have ended by June 30,' Mr Cheung said.
Colleague Fred Li Wah-ming said: 'It is a bit too much, but I know it will be clear who is really representing Legco then.' Invitations to the handover anniversary celebrations on July 1 and the new airport opening the next day were sent to members of the interim body and the first SAR Legco plus members of the municipal councils and district boards.
Reply slips to the Home Affairs Department indicated that those who had not been re-elected would still be addressed as legislators.
A department spokesman refused to comment on the criteria the Government used when deciding on the invitations.
But provisional legislator Bruce Liu Sing-lee, of the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood, said they could be addressed as legislators on the invitations as replies would be received this month.
'We know that after June 30, we'll all be former provisional legislators.' Mr Cheung and Mr Li said they would attend the anniversary celebrations, which include a flag-raising ceremony in the morning and a banquet later.
'We have assumed office already and we support the reunification with China. So why wouldn't we go? We won't disappear simply because people we politically dislike turn up,' Mr Cheung said.
