Fallout from implosion of Hong Kong's reform package continues
Walkout fiasco may cost main players their Exco seats as Beijing takes more interventionist line
The implosion of Hong Kong's pro-establishment political forces could lead Beijing to take a more interventionist line on the city, a top adviser on Beijing's ties with the special administrative region has predicted.
The warning, from Professor Lau Siu-kai, vice-chairman of the National Association of Study on Hong Kong and Macau, follows last week's drama, when the Beijing-loyalist members of the Legislative Council staged a bungled walk-out during the vote on the constitutional reform, which exposed incompetence and disunity in the camp and led to a 28-8 defeat for the government.
Recriminations over the blunder continued yesterday amid questions over the futures of some of the fiasco's main characters - Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and Starry Lee Wai-king - who also hold places in the on the Executive Council.
On Thursday, 31 pro-establishment lawmakers walked out of the legislative chamber in an unsuccessful attempt to buy time to allow former Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat to vote.
"The pro-establishment elites come from different interest groups and are disunited," Lau, the former head of the official think tank, the Central Policy Unit, said yesterday. "I am afraid the only force that can coordinate them is not from Hong Kong but from the central government.
Many pro-establishment lawmakers either approached the central government's liaison office to explain their mistakes, or told reporters they had received praise from the office for having voted, Lau noted.
Lau said this suggested these lawmakers worried more about how Beijing saw them, rather than the local government.
"The principle of 'Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong' will be compromised," he said. "The political reality is that pan-democrats will never take up ruling power. Whether a high degree of autonomy can be maintained does not hinge on the strength of the pan-democrats, but on [that of] the pro-establishment camp.
"We can't stop the central government from intervening. We can only ask it to stick to the principle of 'high degree of autonomy' as much as possible and to withdraw as soon as possible."
Lau believed Beijing was angry and disappointed at the ballot, but did not think it would punish the legislators. "They are incompetent, not disloyal. The central government still needs their support in Hong Kong."
Among those who walked out, it is the futures of Lam, Ip and Lee, that came up for question yesterday because they have dual membership of the Legislative and Executive councils, meaning they should have voted yes.
Pan-democratic lawmaker Albert Chan Wai-yip asked Lee yesterday if she would quit Exco to take responsibility. Lee sidestepped the question, saying, "I have apologised to the chief executive and chief secretary."
Ip gave a definite no to reporters who asked the same question on another occasion. "I don't think I need to [resign]. I only followed the pro-establishment camp's instruction and walked out with my colleagues."
Lam, who initiated the walkout, could not be reached for comment yesterday.