Hong Kong extradition bill: pro-Beijing lawmakers in no hurry to push contentious law through and could extend debate
- Despite earlier eagerness to have bill passed by next Thursday, camp seems to have had change of heart and is prepared to wait beyond July 1, sources say
- However if bill is not passed before Legislative Council’s summer recess starts in mid-July, it risks another round of anger and acrimony in the autumn
Pro-establishment lawmakers are not planning to hurry the passage of an unpopular extradition bill and are open to extending debate on it, in a renewed bid to assuage concerns, sources have told the South China Morning Post, as the legislature on Thursday announced a postponement for a third straight day.
A government source said the authorities assessed the situation and decided that cancelling Legislative Council meetings on Friday would help lower tensions in the aftermath of heavy clashes between police and protesters opposed to the bill.
Before the protest, Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen had said he would allocate 61 hours for scrutiny of the bill, which would allow the city to transfer suspects to jurisdictions with which it lacked extradition arrangements, including mainland China.
Leung had said he wanted the proposed law passed as early as June 20.
But there appears to have been a change of heart in the pro-government camp.
While the lawmakers still believe the 61-hour time frame is adequate, they now feel no need to put the bill to a vote next Thursday, several sources said, adding that Legco could even extend the schedule if needed.