Crackdown on LegCo filibusters reflects public wishes
As expected, the Legislative Council passed the 24 proposed amendments to its rule book on Dec 15 last year, despite desperate last-ditch efforts of the opposition camp to stop the move. The amended Rules of Procedure were published in the government Gazette on Dec 21 and took effect immediately.
The main objective of the amendments, as we all know, was to defeat wanton filibusters. Hong Kong people are sick of the situation which frequently saw the solemn council turn into a stage for clownish antics by a small group of lawmakers. Relentless filibustering has greatly eroded the vitality of Hong Kong and caused public complaints, as shown by a slew of opinion polls. The aheadof-schedule passage of those amendments has actually indicated there is nothing much the “pan-democrats” can do against the moves to diminish — if not completely wipe out — filibustering antics in the legislature. Predictably, the proposed amendments to the meeting procedure of the LegCo Finance Committee, which are to be deliberated this week, will soon be passed as well.
As mentioned repeatedly in my previous articles, LegCo should be a solemn venue for deliberation, legislation and monitoring of the government’s administration. What ordinary citizens expect to see in the legislature is every lawmaker doing practical work for the overall interest of local people, including supervising the government’s work, coordinating with government departments on policy adoption and implementation, promoting measures beneficial to Hong Kong people, companies and organizations in order to improve people’s livelihoods and maintain Hong Kong’s prosperity.
In recent years, however, the legislative chamber has been hijacked by a small group of troublemakers who take advantage of the shades of gray in the legislature’s Rules of Procedure to delay or even derail government policies necessary for promoting economic and social development as well as improving people’s livelihood. As a result, the 70-member LegCo has been paralyzed again and again. Sadly, the LegCo has become increasingly impotent in recent years.
Worse, the improper behavior and rude manners of filibustering lawmakers — who waved flags, shouted and threw items — have set bad examples for our society, especially the younger generation. The concept of “oppose for the sake of opposition”, without regard to the law and public interest, has fostered a group of “political mobsters” in the city.
As a matter of fact, I believe the “pandemocratic” lawmakers should, to a great extent, be responsible for the social rifts. For their own political purpose, they have confused truth and falsehood, right and wrong — they supported the “Occupy Central” campaign; connived at advocacy of separatism; and condoned illegal behaviors of political radicals, such as trespassing on the People’s Liberation Army Garrison in Hong Kong, storming the LegCo building and university campuses and harassing mainland visitors. After the amendments to the LegCo rule book were adopted, some people said the opposition had finally received blowback from its wanton filibustering. I totally agree. It is their irrational behavior that has disgusted the public and finally put them in today’s situation, with less and less support.
Two of the amendments to the Rules of Procedure are particularly helpful in preventing filibusters. One is to reduce the quorum of the Committee of the whole Council from half of full council (35 members) to 20; the other is to raise the threshold of appointing Select Committee from 20 votes to 35. Both measures are significant to the smooth operation and efficiency of LegCo in future. The first one will greatly reduce incidents of adjournment for lack of a quorum; and the second will minimize abuse of the Select Committee mechanism. The net result will be that a lot of public resources will be saved.
At present, the common aspiration of Hong Kong people is to build a society that’s stable and sustainable. Hong Kong welcomes lawmakers with different opinions and different perspectives as long as their views are based on rational analysis rather than driven by personal or party agendas. LegCo members who defy public will and continue their clownish antics in the legislative chamber can be assured of their retribution in the next election. I’m looking forward to a brighter future for both the LegCo and Hong Kong as a whole after the amendments to the rule book.