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Omicron: pro-Beijing camp closes ranks over birthday party scandal, shifts blame to Cathay Pacific, as questions emerge over Carrie Lam’s political future
- They say no need for home affairs minister Caspar Tsui to resign for attending event, where social-distancing rules might have been broken
- But Democratic Party chairman Lo Kin-hei criticises pro-establishment camp for trying to deflect the blame
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Hong Kong’s pro-establishment politicians have closed ranks in defending top officials caught in the scandal over a birthday banquet where they were exposed to at least two coronavirus patients, arguing there is no need for the most high-profile partygoer home affairs minister Caspar Tsui Ying-wai to resign.
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Instead, they directed their wrath at Cathay Pacific crews who triggered the current wave of Omicron infections by flouting home isolation rules and transport minister Frank Chan Fan whom they accused of failing to plug the loopholes in containing the virus, especially the surge of the variant.
Those interviewed were also divided on whether the scandal – which could potentially erupt into what social media users were dubbing the “Witman Hung cluster” – would affect Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s political future.
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But academics and opposition Democratic Party chairman Lo Kin-hei criticised the pro-establishment camp for trying to deflect the blame onto others.
The government has been rocked by the event, hosted by Witman Hung, principal liaison officer for Hong Kong at the Shenzhen Qianhai Authority and one of the city’s deputies to the national legislature, to celebrate his 53rd birthday.
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