All Around Town: DAB councillors provoke firestorm by posing at blaze site
Pro-Beijing politicians are feeling the heat after four district councillors of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong posed for a group photo in front of the Ngau Tau Kok blaze in which a fireman later died. Furious internet users accused them of trying to seize a political advantage. Fire department vehicles appear in the background of photos uploaded on Tuesday afternoon that went viral online. The four included Or Chong-shing, who has been tipped to run for a Legislative Council seat in September. “I’ve always thought you’re okay, but you and your party should stop politicking,” Or’s Facebook friend Yan Lai wrote. “What’s the point of posing there? For printing banners?” Also present was councillor Cheung Yiu-bun, who defended himself by saying the photos were taken before the fireman died. He added: “It would have been worse if we took a selfie.” DAB lawmaker Chan Kam-lam described the photo as ill-advised but insisted the four intended to help residents. But that begs the question: how does posing for a photograph help?
Stuart Lau
Path to democracy narrows for Ronny Tong’s new group
The Path of Democracy group – which ex-lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah formed after quitting the Civic Party last year – has suffered its first defeat even before the Legco elections, with one of its three intended candidates dropping out in mysterious circumstances. Joseph Lau Pui-wing cited unspecified “personal reasons” for halting electioneering in New Territories East, meaning Tong will not be able to garner support from the constituency he himself represented for 11 years until last year. As All Around Town understands, even group insiders were shocked by his sudden departure, for which little explanation was given by Lau. Adding to the confusion is the fact that Lau was one of those invited to join a party dinner with Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah, with whom Lau took a photo that was posted on his Facebook page.
Stuart Lau
Lawmakers finally find common ground