Hong Kong public remains to be convinced by Legco
- New faces to the revamped legislature are again unknown to the wider community and have their work cut out if they are to win people’s recognition and support
The return of another four new faces in the by-election of the “patriot-only” Legislative Council was understandably underwhelming to the Hong Kong people.
Despite having rich experience and stature in their professions, they are still unfamiliar to the wider community, as are many of the lawmakers who have just completed their first year in office in the revamped legislature. Lawmakers need to work harder to gain wider support and recognition of their work.
Sunday’s ballot came after four Beijing-friendly lawmakers returned via the Election Committee took up senior government posts. With six hopefuls running for four seats in a poll confined to fewer than 1,400 voters, the outcome was arguably of little significance to the public. If anything, it is more a test of the strength of the factions amid a new political landscape.
Reviewing the council’s performance over the year, Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen dismissed suggestions that the public had lost interest in the body’s work.
Referring to the passage of 17 bills and 264 hours of meetings since January, Leung said the absence of disruptive tactics by the then opposition bloc did not mean Legco had become a rubber stamp. He also said lawmakers were not pop stars who needed to gain popularity, adding that the media should report members’ work positively.