There seldom has been a conflict between the Legislature and Executive as Hong Kong witnessed on Wednesday when democracy, such as it is, was jolted to its foundations.
Very pertinent, therefore, are the two central questions in the aftermath of the rumbustous scenes in Parliament. First, is Hong Kong a part of China? Second, is the protectorate a democracy, after all? The beleaguered leader and chief executive, Carrie Lam, was compelled to deliver her annual policy speech via a video link after being heckled in the House by Opposition legislators.
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Pro-democracy lawmakers jeered and yelled slogans as she walked into the legislature’s chamber and started to speak, forcing the unprecedented cancellation of the address.
The legislative council resumed its session on Wednesday for the first time after it was suspended on 12 June, when it was besieged by protesters demanding the withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill.
That piece of legislation has been kept in abeyance. But the relentless people’s upheaval, which has now resonated in the echo chambers of Parliament, underlines the rising tide of disaffection.
The video presentation would suggest that Ms Lam ~ arguably at the instance of China ~ is attempting to obfuscate the core issue by riveting her focus on housing and “land supply” in a bid to solve what she called “deep-seated problems”.
However critical, the economic crisis is only part of the issue; it has escalated owing to the broader issues of contestation that have ignited the raging upheaval. Attempting to put on an optimistic note,
Ms Lam said she was sure that “the rainbow will emerge after the storm”.
Beyond that delusory expression of wishful thinking must lie the widespread criticism for the lack of political reform measures to address the mounting discontent of the populace, now reflected in the fury of Parliament.
Small wonder that analysts expect the political crisis to worsen.
“Land and housing are no panacea to fix broken politics. This is a government that pretends to govern and a chief executive who pretends to do business as usual,” is the lament of Kenneth Chan, a political scientist at the Baptist University of Hong Kong.
Prof Michael Davis, a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre, said housing and economic benefits should not be “an excuse to neglect other more fundamental issues regarding Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Reducing it to only economics is to adopt Beijing’s main talking points. Beijing readily blames all dissent on economics.
There is more at stake.” Notably, the criticism by academics is not a matter of academic interest. The upsurge has now rattled the portals of the legislature. And Wednesday’s developments can be contextualised with President Xi Jinping’s warning against dissent, articulated in Nepal last week ~ “Any attempt to divide China will end in bodies smashed and bones ground to powder”. Strong words that can only steel the resolve of the protesters.
