Two Beijing-loyalist lawmakers bowed in apology to the public yesterday - the first time any member of the camp had made such a gesture since a bungled walkout two weeks ago turned a Legislative Council vote on political reform into a farce.
Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Wong Kwok-kin and New People's Party vice-chairman Michael Tien Puk-sun made the gesture on RTHK's City Forum, after they were asked why those in their camp appeared reluctant to apologise for the fiasco.
On June 18, seconds before the historic vote, 31 pro-establishment lawmakers, including Tien, Wong and three Executive Council members, walked out in the mistaken belief the vote would be delayed for 15 minutes so ally Lau Wong-fat could arrive.
But as nine Beijing loyalists stayed in the chamber out of confusion and only eight voted for the package, it gave the impression there was little support for the plan. All 27 pan-democrats plus medical representative Dr Leung Ka-lau voted against the government's plan, which would have been enough to deny it the two-thirds majority required.
The pro-establishment camp later said they "deeply regretted" what happened, but critics said their discussions with Beijing's liaison officials afterward showed they were more concerned about Beijing's reaction than the Hong Kong public's.
That feeling showed in a question from a woman at the RTHK programme yesterday, who said: "You [Beijing loyalists] apologised to Beijing first, but did you think of apologising to your voters? You are paid with Hongkongers' money, not Beijing's."