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Hong Kong’s pro-establishment camp considers change of tactics in bid to regain control of legislative process for controversial extradition bill
- Sources say pro-establishment camp has been floating the possibility of trying to remove Democrat James To from ruling over proceedings
- To was criticised for opening the floor to debate procedural issues unrelated to the bill
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Hong Kong’s pro-establishment bloc is trying to regain control over a controversial extradition bill and speed up the legislative process, although chances of the government applying the new law on a recent high-profile case involving Taiwan may be fading.
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Some pro-establishment lawmakers are considering a change of tactics after filibustering by the pro-democracy camp stalled the election of a chairman for a committee scrutinising the bill on Wednesday.
According to two sources, the pro-establishment camp has been floating the possibility of trying to remove Democratic Party lawmaker James To Kun-sun, who as the most senior member in the Legislative Council presided over the committee.
At Wednesday’s meeting lawmakers were supposed to elect a Bills Committee chairman to oversee scrutiny of the government’s proposal to allow the transfer of fugitives to any jurisdiction that Hong Kong lacks an extradition agreement with, including mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.
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But To, who chaired the proceedings, was criticised for opening the floor to debate procedural issues unrelated to the bill. He defended his decision and said he was only following existing house rules.
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