Legco meeting suspended as Hong Kong lawmaker asks for debate on Beijing’s Basic Law ruling

A meeting of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council was suspended on Wednesday – without the pair of localist lawmakers-elect at the heart of the oath saga – after a pan-democrat called for a debate on Beijing’s recent interpretation of the Basic Law.

The fifth Legco meeting of the new session started without the presence of pro-independence activists Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-Ching, who are facing disqualification from the lawmaking body. They did not try to barge into the chamber on Wednesday, but their attempts in previous weeks to attend meetings resulted in Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen calling early adjournments.

Democratic Party lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-Fung, who had arranged to pose the first oral question to the government, asked why the Legco president had declined to allow debate on Beijing’s rare interpretation of the Basic Law.