Ugly scenes loom as Lee steps in to break deadlock

The House Committee may see some ugly scenes on Friday after incumbent chairwoman Starry Lee Wai-king stepped in to call two meetings in a bid to break an impasse that has seen it without a new chairman since October.

Lee, head of the largest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, decided to call the meetings to discuss the external legal advice sought by Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen.

Leung said yesterday he had sought opinions from two senior counsels - Benjamin Yu and Jenkin Suen - who told him that Lee had the power to convene meetings and handle the committee's affairs before a new chairman is elected.

He noted that the legal advice ensured that the incumbent chairman should have "all the usual powers to conduct the business of the House Committee" though the incumbent's power was subject to certain limitations.

The move is part of a bid to end filibustering by the Civic Party's Dennis Kwok Wing-hang - who has presided over 16 meetings without any chairman being elected.

Kwok has been presiding for the committee since October as Lee seeks to be reelected for this legislative year.

However, the external legal advice said Kwok has not been doing his job of electing a chairman properly.

"In the senior counsel's view, it is difficult to see how such discussions could be relevant to the election of the House Committee chairman. The secretariat has also expressed similar views to the presiding member," he said.

Lee, who said her term as the House Committee head continues until a new chairman is elected, chose to convene two meetings on Friday.

The morning session to be presided over by Kwok will focus on the chairman election, with Lee chairing an afternoon session for a special meeting to follow up on the external legal advice and other agenda items.

Kwok said the external legal advice sought by Leung "does not constitute a decision" and would not help resolve the current deadlock. He also called it a "very strange way" to seek a resolution as the Legco president is not a member of the House Committee.

Kwok argued that the senior counsel was not familiar with the Legco operations, citing the previous legal basis which prioritized the election of a committee chair.

He said he could not say what would happen at Friday's meeting, but pledged to "chair it in accordance with the relevant rules of procedures in order to achieve a fair, orderly and impartial holding of the meeting," he said.

Among the pro-establishment camp, 41 lawmakers issued a statement saying that they agreed with the external legal opinion.

sophie.hui@singtaonewscorp.com