Scuffles break out in Hong Kong’s legislature

HONG KONG — Scuffles broke out at Hong Kong’s Legislative Council on Friday as lawmakers from opposing camps competed to preside over a meeting to determine who has authority over a key committee which scrutinizes bills.

Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing and pro-democracy lawmakers have been caught in an impasse over the delayed election of a chairperson of the Legislative Council’s House Committee, which reads bills and determines when they can be put to a final vote.

Pro-Beijing lawmakers have accused House Committee deputy chairman and pro-democracy lawmaker Dennis Kwok of stalling the process for over six months, resulting in a backlog of legislation including a controversial new bill that would criminalize abuse of the Chinese national anthem in the semi-autonomous city.

On Friday, pro-Beijing lawmaker Starry Lee, who said she has authority as previous chair of the House Committee to preside over the meeting, rushed to take the chairperson’s seat over an hour before the meeting was to start. Security staff and other pro-Beijing lawmakers surrounded the bench, preventing pro-democracy lawmakers from approaching as lawmakers argued with each other, with each camp holding up placards condemning either Lee or Kwok.

Scuffles also broke out when Lee called the meeting to order, with pro-democracy lawmakers rushing the bench as security guards shoved back. The guards carried out several pro-democracy lawmakers, including Eddie Chu and Ray Chan, who were ordered to leave due to disorderly conduct.

“I have not seized power, I am the incumbent chairperson of the house committee,” said Lee, who said she hoped the meeting could be conducted smoothly and urged lawmakers to take their seats.

Pro-democracy lawmakers chanted “Starry Lee, step down,” while pro-Beijing lawmakers countered with shouts that Kwok was abusing his power.

Most of the pro-democracy lawmakers later walked out of the meeting. The session was later briefly suspended after pro-democracy politician Kwok Wing-kin, who was watching from the viewing chamber, was dragged away by security after throwing a stack of papers down into the meeting room.

Last month, Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong criticized Kwok for holding up matters that affect the public interest. Beijing officials called for Kwok to be prosecuted for misconduct in public office.

Beijing’s criticism of Kwok has also sparked debate over whether it has the power to interfere in Hong Kong’s internal affairs under the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.

The former British colony was handed back to China in 1997 under a “one-country, two-systems” framework in which Hong Kong was given freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland and promised a high degree of autonomy in its affairs for 50 years.

Differences between the pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps were sharpened after months of sometimes violent protests sparked by an attempt to pass legislation — later withdrawn — that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to China to face trials.

Legislative Council president Andrew Leung said he received external legal counsel that Lee had the authority to handle the backlog of legislative matters, while pro-democracy lawmakers sought to raise funds and seek their own legal advice, arguing that Lee does not have the authority to take over, in line with in-house legal counsel.

Previously, the Legislative Council had passed a motion allowing a bill that extended maternity leave to bypass the House Committee, and was criticized by pro-democracy lawmakers as setting a bad precedent for bills to pass without the scrutiny of the committee.

Zen Soo, The Associated Press