Legco pan-democrats agree to speed through some Hong Kong government funding requests, to ease backlog
After meeting with Carrie Lam, opposition bloc says cash for things such as school and hospitals should be prioritised, but rejects other pro-establishment suggestions
Opposition politicians on Thursday agreed to speed through funding proposals for schools and hospitals, after a meeting with Hong Kong’s leader aimed at clearing the mounting backlog of business in the legislature.
But the pan-democrats turned down their opponents’ plea that they ease scrutiny at the Finance Committee stage for cash requests already dealt with in lower committees, stressing they were only raising legitimate questions.
Legco logjams have been a point of serious contention in recent years, with pro-establishment politicians accusing their opponents of stymieing the city’s development with filibusters and obstruction. Pan-democrats have accused the administration and its allies of forcing through funding requests – and government business more generally – without addressing public concerns.
Lawmaker Charles Mok, convenor of the pro-democracy camp, welcomed Lam’s willingness to hold Thursday’s meeting, but said there were things the government could do to clear the backlog.