Hong Kong Legco president moves to wrest control of gridlocked House Committee from opposition stalling chair election
- Secretariat confirms Andrew Leung sought external legal advice last month on ‘unprecedented situation’
- But there is no confirmation on whether Leung will issue any directive or unseat pan-democrat Dennis Kwok, who has been presiding over meetings
The president of Hong Kong’s legislature is moving to wrest control of a committee from opposition lawmakers who have been holding up its work with filibustering, as it becomes the centrepiece of a fight between their camp and Beijing’s agencies in charge of the city’s affairs.
In a reply to the South China Morning Post, the secretariat of the Legislative Council confirmed that president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen had sought external legal advice from a senior counsel in late March, noting the “unprecedented situation” where the House Committee had failed to elect its chair for more than 15 meetings.
A spokesman said Leung was responsible for ensuring that Legco “effectively carries out its constitutional duty”.
He would not comment on speculation that the president would issue any directive or even disqualify Dennis Kwok, the pan-democrat who had presided over the House Committee amid the gridlock. “The most important part is that all legislators from different camps can reach a consensus and complete the committee chair election as soon as possible, so that Legco’s work can resume.”
It is unclear if Leung will take quick action ahead of the House Committee’s weekly meeting on Friday, or if that gathering will end in impasse – much like in the past seven months. The committee helps set the agenda and scrutinises bills introduced into the council, deciding when they are put to a final vote.
