The rules that govern how Hong Kong’s “patriots-only” Legislative Council (LegCo) operate been amended to allow Hong Kong lawmakers to take a summer break.
Pro-Beijing Legislative Councillor Paul Tse tabled a motion to the legislature on Thursday to abolish an article in the LegCo’s Rules of Procedure, which stated that two consecutive meetings could not be more than six weeks apart in the same legislative year.
Hong Kong’s legislature saw a drastic overhaul in 2021 after Beijing passed legislation to ensure “patriots” govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates.
The Hong Kong government said the overhaul would ensure the city’s stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as they made it near-impossible for pro-democracy candidates to stand.
Historically, LegCo would break for two to three months after the end of the legislative year in July, before beginning the next legislative year in October.
However, as the last LegCo election was held in December 2021 and lawmakers were sworn in last January, the legislative year in the current legislature runs from January to December, meaning that lawmakers would not be able to have their summer break without violating the Rules of Procedure.
Not a ‘summer holiday’
Tse’s motion was passed on Thursday, with lawmakers stressing that the break was not a holiday.
Benson Luk from the pro-establishment Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong urged government officials, lawmakers, and the media to refer to the break as an “adjournment of LegCo meetings,” instead of a summer break.
“So that citizens can feel that in this new chapter of the reformed legislature, meetings are adjourned but lawmakers are not resting,” Luk said.
The lawmaker added that they would still have to meet with residents and attend different meetings, as well as going on work trips including to mainland China and overseas.
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