Hong Kong extradition bill hits a stumbling block at Legco as first meeting of committee scrutinising it fails to elect a chairman
- Pro-establishment lawmakers accused Democratic Party’s James To, who was presiding over the meeting until a chairman was elected, of filibustering
- Umbrella group of 100 trade associations also called on government to exempt from extradition bill crimes punishable by less than seven years in prison
The government’s bid to fast-track a controversial extradition proposal got off to a rocky start on Wednesday after the pro-democracy bloc managed to stall the first meeting of the bills committee without even electing its chairman.
The weekly Legislative Council meeting, which is debating the appropriation bill, was also suspended for an hour and a half on Wednesday afternoon, following four rounds of the quorum bell requested by the pan-democrats.
The clock is ticking for the administration to push through the bill – which would allow the transfer of fugitives to any jurisdiction which Hong Kong does not have an extradition treaty with, including mainland China, Macau and Taiwan – so it can extradite Chan Tong-kai, a Hongkonger accused of murdering his girlfriend in Taipei, to the self-ruled island.
Chan, who has been remanded in Hong Kong, pleaded guilty last week to money-laundering charges. He could be freed and thus leave the city by the end of this month.
Security minister John Lee Ka-chiu deplored the lack of progress in the first meeting.
Lawmakers were supposed to scrutinise the bill after electing the committee’s chairperson in the two-hour meeting on Wednesday – a procedure that usually takes no more than half an hour.