Tiresome theatrics in the Legislative Council is a turn-off for the Hong Kong public
Pan-democrats have the right to filibuster, but the overuse of such tactics could backfire on them come September’s elections
After weeks of filibustering, the HK$19.6 billion extra funding for the controversial high-speed railway project was abruptly put to a vote and declared approved amid chaos last Friday. While officials can breathe a sigh of relief that the railway, which will now cost HK$ 84.4 billion to complete, will not be derailed by ballooning costs, the outcome has upset the pan-democrats further and set the stage for more confrontations.
The clashes at the Legislative Council Finance Committee meeting were regrettable. Despite the chaos, the pro-establishment camp maintained that the funding was passed according to procedures. But the pan-democrats argued that the vote was invalid, referring to the fact that some pro-government lawmakers had raised their hands for both the “yes” and “no” vote. The pan-democrats vowed to overturn the result with a judicial review.
That chaos in Legco has become the norm rather than an exception is worrying. The tension between the two camps seems to have intensified after the Friday’s drama, as reflected in another meeting the following day. The pan-democrats seized the presiding bench, after the chairman refused to invalidate the vote on the railway funding.
READ MORE: Uproar at Legco after snap vote leads to passage of HK$19.6 billion for Hong Kong high-speed rail link
The Saturday meeting was scheduled to deal with a long list of outstanding funding requests, many of which are directly related to people’s livelihood. Regrettably, it was forced to be adjourned because of the pan-democrats’ unruly behaviour. The committee’s chairman warned of the need to strengthen security to guard against disruptive tactics. The rising tension may fuel more extreme actions and turn into a vicious cycle.