The second vote on a motion of no confidence against Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in 10 months was defeated last night after a five-hour debate in the Legislative Council.
The motion had been tabled by Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki who said the city had been "torn apart" since Leung had taken office.
Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor described the motion as "empty", sparking a fierce exchange between pan-democrats and Beijing loyalists.
I regret to see the legislature, for the fifth time since last year, directing attacks at the chief executive [with the aim] of undermining his constitutional status and credibility
The pan-democrats criticised Leung’s integrity, his efforts to tackle housing and poverty issues, his scandal-plagued administration and his meeting this month with Philippine President Benigno Aquino over a fatal hostage incident.
Information technology lawmaker Charles Mok said the latest controversy, over free television licences, was another example of the government becoming "the enemy of Hongkongers".
