The two-day Legislative Council debate on Tung Chee-hwa's Policy Address came to an unexpected halt last night when there were not enough members to make up a quorum.
President Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai was forced to adjourn the sitting to November 4.
When the quorum was called, there were only 16 members present. At the end of a 15-minute summons to allow members to return to the chamber, numbers were four short of the required 30.
Gary Cheng Kai-nam, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, had called for a head count before he spoke.
He had been scheduled to be the 58th and last member to speak at the sitting.
'It's better to have a good beginning and a good ending,' Mr Cheng said.
Mrs Fan said an adjournment would not have much impact on the motion debate if the legislature failed to make the quorum.
