The Hong Kong Legislative Council has been reduced to a “rubber stamp” after the Hong Kong government suppressed pro-democracy legislators on all fronts last year. Chief Executive Carrie Lam plans to take advantage of the situation and push through a series of legislative tasks, including a number of highly controversial issues, in her remaining term of less than two years. What is Carrie’s intention?
“Will Members please remain standing and allow the Chief Executive to enter the Chamber.” On this day of the Question and Answer Session of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, no more protesting voices from the democratic camp could be heard as Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor walked calmly and unhurriedly into the Legislative Council, where there were no dissenting voices.
After no more dissenting voices in the Legislative Council, Carrie Lam was emboldened
After the government’s arrest of pro-democracy legislators and stripping them of their seats last year, almost all pro-democracy legislators resigned en masse, leaving only the voices of pro-Beijing legislators in the Legislative Council, reduced to a “rubber stamp”. Carrie Lam, who attended her first question-and-answer session in the Legislative Council after the resignation of the pro-democracy camp, said that such a Legislative Council is the only one that Hong Kong should cherish.
Carrie Lam said: “With a reply to a functioning Legislative Council, we will continue to put forward bold but socially beneficial proposals. These five legislative tasks today, honestly if it was the Legislative Council last year, at least two or three dare not propose, may not even open the session, this is the legislature that we have to cherish in Hong Kong.”
Controversial bills are bound to pass smoothly
Carrie Lam took the initiative to promote five pieces of legislation in the rest of the government’s term, most of which are highly controversial, including legislation to specify that district councillors must take the oath, the introduction of more non-locally trained doctors, to combat “false” information, infringement of personal privacy, disrupting social order and other acts, including the proposal to make “undercover” a criminal offence. She also said that government departments are reviewing the legal and administrative arrangements related to the register in order to “better” protect the privacy of individuals. At present, many journalists use the “register” for investigative reporting, the relevant legislative amendments are expected to give rise to discussions on undermining press freedom.
On the legislation to require District Council members to take an oath, Lam said the legislation can reflect the “patriots ruling Hong Kong” the natural justice. The pro-Beijing media has earlier let it be known that Beijing will crack down with a heavy hand on the pro-democracy district councilors, who currently make up the majority in the district councils, and the legislation is expected to result in a large number of elected district councilors being stripped of their seats. The introduction of more non-locally trained doctors has also been an ongoing issue of contention in Hong Kong for years.
Lam anxious to take credit for Beijing
In the Legislative Council, Carrie Lam talked about pushing through controversial legislation, stressing that she could “get things done” in the rest of her term. In an interview with our station, the former press coordinator of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, Mr. Ho On-tat, said that Mrs. Lam was wishfully trying to “take credit” for Beijing in order to make up for her mistakes during this period of Time.
She wants to make up for her mistakes in less than two years and do what she wants to do during her term, so you can see that she is very eager to do it.”
However, he believes that even if Carrie Lam successfully completed the above legislation, everything done is not what the public wants, but in the minds of many people is “continue to be wrong”. He also said that from the wording and tone of Lam’s speech, it can be seen that Lam’s arrogance and egotistical nature reappears.
To curry favor with Beijing and the pro-Beijing camp to pave the way for re-election
Hong Kong current affairs commentator Liu Ruishao said in an interview with this station that some of the legislative work proposed by Carrie Lam, such as requiring district councilors to take the oath, is carried out according to Beijing’s will; as for the content of policies related to people’s livelihood, it was previously proposed by pro-Beijing legislators, and Carrie Lam complied with their requests to promote legislation, which can increase the political capital of the pro-Beijing camp, and also use it to make political deals.
Whether it is to show loyalty to Beijing, or to pro-Beijing lawmakers, Liu Ruishao believes that Carrie Lam is paving the way for re-election.
Liu Ruishao said: “In fact, many of the things that Lin Zheng is doing now, hoping to increase her capital for re-election, especially on political issues, she basically does not stand in the interests of Hong Kong people or standpoint to deal with things, many are in the direction of Beijing to do things. It has come to a situation where she has no choice and has no choice but to lean towards Beijing’s wishes.”
Want to be re-elected? It’s not just a matter of trying to show loyalty
Hong Kong’s next Chief Executive election will be held in March 2022, with a new government taking office in July. The current government has less than two years left in its term, but Carrie Lam has explicitly said she wants to complete the above five legislative tasks.
Liu Rui Shao believes that the Chief Executive’s seat will ultimately depend on how Beijing calculates.
Liu Ruishao said: “In the end, she is allowed to be re-elected, or see the public discontent in Hong Kong is so big, in the end, we do not rule out the possibility of sacrificing her. Because anyone sitting in the position of chief executive is to carry out the instructions of Beijing, Lin Zheng may not necessarily carry out very well, so if Beijing calculates its own interests, so much so that Xi Jinping calculates his own popularity with the people of Hong Kong, if you do not let Lin Zheng re-elected, it is likely to be better for the prestige of Xi Jinping.”
Liu Ruishao took the example of the previous CE, Leung Chun-ying, who announced in 2016 that he would not seek re-election, citing Family reasons, after his tough handling of the Umbrella Movement in 2014 left civil discontent in the air. Liu Ruishao described this as a sign that “it’s not a matter of trying to implement Beijing’s instructions” to be re-elected.
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