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Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Hong KongPolitics

‘New low’ for ties between Hong Kong leader and pro-democracy bloc after Carrie Lam sends No 2 Matthew Cheung to stand in at meeting with them

  • Lam sends her deputy to discuss controversial changes to elderly welfare payments
  • ‘We asked to meet the chief executive, not the acting chief executive or the chief secretary,’ says one member

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Shiu Ka-chun (centre) expressed the bloc’s disappointment at the perceived snub. Photo: Dickson Lee
Kimmy ChungandSum Lok-kei

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy politicians said on Tuesday their relationship with the city leader had reached a new low after she turned down their request for a meeting over a major welfare controversy, sending her deputy instead.

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Seven pan-democrats will represent the camp to meet Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung on Thursday. But they insisted Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor should meet them, just as she met pro-Beijingers to discuss the new handout for elderly welfare recipients.

Last week both camps joined forces to rebuke Lam in the Legislative Council, passing a non-binding motion calling on her to shelve a controversial rise in the minimum age for elderly Comprehensive Social Security Allowance (CSSA) recipients, from 60 to 65.
Lam managed to pacify her political allies by announcing the new monthly cash handout to compensate senior citizens, a day after meeting her allies.

But she has given pan-democrats the cold shoulder, suggesting they were jealous, and saying she was free to meet any lawmakers she chose to see.

“The relationship between the pan-democrats and Lam has hit its lowest point since she took office,” welfare sector lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun said on Tuesday.

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