Most of Hong Kong’s opposition lawmakers to serve out extended term in Legislative Council, after supporters narrowly back move in poll
- Citywide survey conducted by Hong Kong Public Opinion Institute shows 47.1 per cent voted stay, 45.8 per cent to leave
- But Civic Party vice-chairwoman Tanya Chan announces decision to step away from politics for health and family reasons
Most of Hong Kong’s opposition lawmakers have decided to remain in the legislature and hope to heal the rift with those who wanted to quit, after supporters narrowly backed them serving out their extended terms in an opinion poll.
Nineteen out of 22 pan-democrats will serve out the term which resumes on Thursday, including those who pledged to abide by the poll results and six incumbents holding trade-based functional constituency seats in the Legislative Council.
But veteran lawmaker Tanya Chan of the Civic Party, also a convenor of the opposition bloc, has decided to quit politics altogether, citing health and family reasons.
But they will soon face new challenges on how to bridge the rift within the group and block controversial government policies with a weakened force.
There are 65 lawmakers in Legco; 41 in the pro-establishment camp, 22 in the pan-democratic camp, as well as independents Cheng Chung-tai and Pierre Chan.
