‘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

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.

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.

‘I’m over 60 and work 10 hours a day’: Lam defends raising welfare age limit

“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.

Sending a letter to Lam asking for a meeting on the CSSA issue last Thursday, Shiu said her office’s reply on Monday said Cheung, not Lam, would meet them on Thursday, along with welfare minister Law Chi-kwong.

“We asked to meet the chief executive, not the acting chief executive or the chief secretary,” he said.

Shiu said his camp understood Lam was in Switzerland – hence Cheung standing in as acting leader – but said they could meet any time before February 1, when the new policy comes into effect. Lam was in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, and expected to return on January 26.

Cheung on Tuesday said he had hoped the pan-democrats would respond positively to his invitation.

“We want a face-to-face dialogue, to iron out all misunderstandings so we can take the matter forward,” he said.

Council Front lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching, who convenes pan-democrat meetings, accused Lam of demeaning the bloc.

“If we don’t go, they will say we’re holding a grudge,” Mo said, adding that seven representatives of the camp would attend the meeting.

She said they were likely to boycott an upcoming Legco lunch, which the city leader was scheduled to attend.

Tensions between government and opposition could drag on to dog scrutiny of the next budget, to be outlined on February 27.

IT sector lawmaker Charles Mok said the CSSA saga would “most certainly” affect his view of Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s plans.

In particular, he cited Lam’s earlier expression of surprise at lawmakers’ opposition to the CSSA changes, saying they had approved the previous budget, which laid out the change.

He said that would mean the burden for democrats supporting the budget would increase substantially.

“However well the financial secretary does, to earn our vote he may have to cater to each and every demand we make,” Mok said.

Additional reporting by Alvin Lum and Peace Chiu