The birthday party scandal that landed senior officials and lawmakers in quarantine has reignited a long-standing debate about the accountability of Hong Kong’s governing elite. Members of the public who have been on the receiving end of the city’s tough quarantine regime can be forgiven if they feel a sense of schadenfreude. The 13 officials and 20 legislators who attended the birthday bash have now experienced the sharp end of those measures for themselves. Hopefully, this will cause them to reflect not only on their conduct but also the impact of the city’s isolation measures on those who are quarantined. The birthday celebration for Witman Hung Wai-man, a local delegate to the national legislature, was held at a restaurant in Wan Chai on January 3. One guest tested positive. Another’s preliminary positive result turned out to be a false alarm on Saturday. This means up to 80 of the 170 guests sent into quarantine, including some officials, are set to be released. Investigations are now under way to establish whether social-distancing rules were breached and laws broken at the party. The scandal has erupted at a critical time. Hong Kong is battling to contain its first community outbreak of the highly transmissible Omicron variant amid fears of a fifth wave of infections. Happy birthday? Not in the end for ‘party animal’ Witman Hung and 170 guests Those invited to the party would have been well aware of the risks. On the day of the event, the government issued a strong appeal for social distancing rules to be observed amid a surge in cases. No wonder invitations to the celebration asked guests not to post photos on social media. But the impact of “partygate” goes beyond the pandemic. New political arrangements ensuring only “patriots” administer Hong Kong are just beginning to take shape. The positive case at the party cast doubt on whether the first Legislative Council sitting under the new system could proceed. The shameful affair has caused great embarrassment to Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her administration. She must be fuming. Two days before the party, the leader had blasted Cathay Pacific bosses over members of the airline’s staff breaching social distancing rules. “As senior management they may not know every act of their employees but this cannot be a liability escape clause,” she said. “As head of an organisation, just like me as the [HK] chief, I have to take responsibility for everything.” Those words have come back to haunt her ahead of a possible bid for a second term as leader in March. Much will depend on how she reacts. The chief executive was quick to express her “deep disappointment” with top officials for disregarding government advice. They were suspended for their time in quarantine which will be treated as leave. Government inquiries into their conduct have been launched. Those investigations must be thorough, fair and transparent. They should establish the facts and not become an exercise in either scapegoating officials or covering up their misdeeds. This is the first crisis faced by the city’s new political order. The public needs to see that the ruling elite will be held accountable under the new arrangements. Members of the pro-establishment camp fill all but one of the seats in the legislature. Many opposition groups have disbanded and dissenting voices diminished. Handling of scandal over party will put Carrie Lam to test It is all the more important, then, that the remaining checks and balances on those in positions of power and influence are fully exercised. The government, legislature and possibly the judiciary all have their part to play in restoring public confidence. The role of the media in uncovering the scandal should not be overlooked – it underlines the importance of press freedom. Those who find themselves on what some have described as the “winning side” in Hong Kong’s political struggles of recent years must understand that their pro-establishment status and privileged positions do not mean they can act with impunity. Hong Kong people have endured two years of strict social-distancing measures and one of the toughest quarantine regimes in the world. They have generally acted responsibly and worked together to combat the spread of the virus. The birthday frolics fiasco is a slap in the face. The community deserves better.