THE solemnity of the occasion in the Great Hall of the People was marked not by high-pitched political speeches, but by an almost constant flood of tears from one Hong Kong delegate throughout the two-hour plenary session.
Dorothy Liu Yiu-chu, attending her first meeting of the Preliminary Working Committee, said she just could not control herself when she saw former Executive Councillor Sir Sze-yuen Chung sitting next to her.
''I simply could not accept that these people, who used to be in the British political camp, have now shifted to our camp, taking up very important posts,'' she said.
She said she was so confused by phrases like ''the Chinese side'' and ''the British side'' flying across the conference table and she could not stop her tears.
In sharp contrast, chairman Qian Qichen was anything but confused or moody.
China is angry at Governor Chris Patten's decision to table the partial electoral bill, but there was no hint of outrage in Mr Qian's 10-minute address.
There was no waving of documents, no tapping of the table as Mr Patten had done in the Legislative Council last week while explaining his frustration at what he said was China's intransigence on political proposals.