Hong Kong legislature forced to push back copyright bill debate over lack of lawmakers
An insufficient number of lawmakers and multiple calls for a head count kick controversy to session next week in victory for bill’s opponents
Pan-democrats managed to delay scrutiny of the controversial Copyright Amendment Bill for another week yesterday when the Legislative Council meeting was adjourned because too few lawmakers were in attendance.
Only 29 legislators - below the requisite 35 - were present in the chamber in the 15-minutes' grace time after the Civic Party's Dr Kenneth Chan Ka-lok called for a quorum count.
The session was then adjourned at 1.15pm, well before the second reading of the bill was due to be resumed.
Pan-democrats, who called a quorum count four times before succeeding, said it was part of their strategy to buy time to block the bill. They urged the government to make good use of the extra time to allow concessions to the bill or stall it for further consultation.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung held firm in his opposition to the pan-democrats' bid.
"This final product that we have on the table is actually a balancing act," So said. "Let's take stock of what we have, this gain, this balance."