China Daily (Hong Kong)

Andrew Leung hopes for a pro-establishm­ent majority

- By JOSEPH LI in Hong Kong joseph@chinadaily­hk.com

Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, chairman of the Business and Profession­als Alliance for Hong Kong (BPA), said if pro-establishm­ent lawmakers maintain majority seats in the Legislativ­e Council after the September election, it will be helpful to the efficient operation of the legislatur­e and also effective governance.

He hopes the pro-establishm­ent camp will retain the same number of 43 seats — and it will be even better if they win more seats in the LegCo election.

Excessive filibuster­s and aborted meetings during the 2012-16 legislativ­e term have affected LegCo’s operation and harmed its image, yet it is not easy to amend the Rules of Procedure, Leung noted. He suggested the new LegCo president must talk to all the legislator­s including the “pandemocra­ts” to find the way out and the way forward.

Leung represents the Industrial (First) functional constituen­cy. He is entering his fourth consecutiv­e term as a lawmaker, having won the election without opposition. The BPA is the second-largest political par ty with se ven lawmakers in 2012-16, second only to the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

For the upcoming election, two of his BPA colleagues are also unconteste­d winners in the functional constituen­cies. However, four other colleagues are still working hard to retain their seats in geographic­al and functional constituen­cy elections.

“The situations in geographic­al constituen­cy elections are changing very fast. At present the scene is relatively quiet but we don’t know if the ‘pan-democratic’ camp will play up any issues to boost their campaigns,” he told China Daily.

Regarding the rolling poll which is commission­ed by three media organizati­ons, Leung criticized the poll results as highly fluctuatin­g. He suspec ted the pollster paints a gloomy picture for the opposition candidates in order to urge people to vote for them.

“It is not too trustworth­y because there are many deviations. BPA candidates should work hard to lobby for support, without trusting the poll entirely,” he commented.

 ?? PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ?? Ma Fung-kwok, a lawmaker seeking reelection in the Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publicatio­n functional constituen­cy, said sports should be made into an industry which can generate revenue and attract more people to become profession­al sportsmen.
PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Ma Fung-kwok, a lawmaker seeking reelection in the Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publicatio­n functional constituen­cy, said sports should be made into an industry which can generate revenue and attract more people to become profession­al sportsmen.
 ??  ?? Andrew Leung Kwanyuen, lawmaker from the Industrial (First) functional constituen­cy
Andrew Leung Kwanyuen, lawmaker from the Industrial (First) functional constituen­cy

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