Filibustering lawmakers could have committed misconduct in public office: Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office

Beijing's top office overseeing matters in Hong Kong and its liaison office in the SAR have hit out at opposition lawmakers, saying their paralyzing of an important Legislative Council committee could constitute misconduct in public office.

Since the new legislative year began last October, the chairman of House Committee has yet to be elected after 14 meetings which were presided by legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang.

It has affected the enactment of at least 14 bills and 80 subsidiary legislation, as one important function of the House Committee is to scrutinize bills introduced to the Council and subsidiary legislation tabled for approval. The committee may form bills committees to scrutinize bills, or appoint subcommittees to study some of the subsidiary legislation in greater detail.

In a statement uploaded to its website today, Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office hit out at Kwok and some of the opposition lawmakers, saying they abused their power to delay the election of chairman by raising procedural questions.

It has seriously affected normal operations of LegCo, disrupting legislation when the Covid-19 situation remains serious in Hong Kong.

“In this critical moment, lawmakers as representatives of the people should carry out their responsibilities dutifully...and to cooperate with the SAR government in meeting the challenges. However, some of the opposition lawmakers disregard public interests for individual political gains, using despicable means to paralyze LegCo operations. This is political scorched earth tactics,” it stated.

“Their behavior raised questions about whether they have violated their (lawmaker) oaths, and if it constituted misconduct in public office. We seriously condemn (their behavior).”

Beijing's Liaison Office in Hong Kong posted a similarly worded statement, saying a minority number of lawmakers obstructed normal operations in LegCo in violation of their oath, and that they “could be suspected of misconduct to public office”.

A public official may commit misconduct in public office when he or she willfully misconducts himself without reasonable excuse or justification, and where such misconduct is serious having regard to his or her responsibilities.