Running-mate idea heads for cul-de-sac
The United States president has a running-mate who acts as vice-president and can take over if the boss dies or has to quit. Now the Hong Kong government's key ally in the legislature thinks it would be a good idea for all legislators here to have something similar. But it's not because the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong wants to adopt a US-style election system. It just sees it as a way to thwart any future politically inspired resignations by legislators to force a by-election. 'This way, the running mate can stand in and fill the vacancy if the winner quits,' DAB lawmaker Ip Kwok-him said. But the idea was dismissed as nonsense by Ronny Tong Ka-wah of the Civic Party. He said it would breach Article 26 of the Basic Law, which says the only requirement to stand in election is permanent residency.
Jeffrey Lam proves quicker on draw
When friendship turns sour it can often spur intense competition between former comrades. This is certainly the case for the four lawmakers who split from the Liberal Party to form a group called Economic Synergy and are showing determination to excel over their former comrades in every way, including speed. Five minutes before the Liberal Party was to begin a press conference to announce its efforts to get an exemption from the levy being imposed on iPhones and iPads at the mainland border, Synergy convenor Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung called a briefing on the same subject. 'So they are having a press conference saying they are writing letters to appeal for the exemption?' he said. 'Well, they are writing letters to Beijing leaders. But I have received a positive response from the authorities saying they will fine-tune the policies.'
Peter Lee's grandsons prompt Legco gossip
The three-day debate on the motion of thanks for the policy address has begun, but apparently not all who sat in the Legco chamber during the session were enthusiastic. 'It is not quite the most conducive way to spend a day when most of the lawmakers were not really debating. They are just making political statements of their wish lists,' one official said. And what was interesting was that the talk in the Legco corridors during the debate focused on gossip rather than policy matters. 'Wow, we have discovered a new pillar industry for Hong Kong: surrogate motherhood,' joked one pro-business lawmaker, referring to tycoon Lee Shau-kee's three new grandsons born to his eldest, and unmarried, son, Peter Lee Ka-kit.
