Deadline on covert surveillance bill must be met, insists Legco president
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong yesterday accused the democrats of dragging their heels on the spying bill debate and playing into the hands of criminals, as the Legislative Council prepared for a possible overnight session tonight.
Council president Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai said during yesterday's 16-hour meeting she could not rule out working through the night to ensure the law gets passed by Tuesday's court-imposed deadline. But democrats protested at the 'inhuman' proposal.
'As president, I don't mind if it's passed or vetoed, but we have to complete scrutiny of this bill by August 8,' Mrs Fan said.
But Civic Party members questioned whether Mrs Fan had to concern herself with the deadline.
'The legal vacuum has been there for 10 years - why do we have to concern ourselves with August 8,' Audrey Eu Yuet-mee asked. 'I hope people don't think that if we can't pass this by that date it will amount to a dereliction of duty.'
Mrs Fan said members were entitled to freedom of speech to make their points but 'if they make use of this freedom to prolong the proceedings unjustifiably, we won't be able to complete our work'.