The government has a lot on its plate right now, especially with public consultations under way for the chief executive’s last policy address of his current term and for the city’s first five-year plan. But there is an urgent matter it must address as soon as possible.
The resignation of William Wong Kam-fai from the Legislative Council means there is a vacant seat for the Election Committee constituency. There should not be any delays in filling the seat. The longer the government stays silent over those arrangements, the greater the potential for political damage.
The circumstances that sparked Wong’s resignation – his arrest on suspicion of drink-driving and a hit-and-run – are unfortunate for both Legco and the administration.
There is no arguing over his decision to quit; it is best for everyone. At the very least, Wong resigned without having put the Legco Supervisory Committee to work. Wong is innocent until proven guilty. But letting the legal process run its course could have had political ramifications for not only himself but also the legislature.
So in the interest of not letting the incident and Legco’s proceedings over the matter impact the government’s work and public image, Wong’s decision to resign was the right one.
However, there are different opinions on whether Wong’s seat should be filled immediately. Executive Council convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee suggested by-elections should be held as soon as possible.
Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, and Tam Yiu-chung, formerly Hong Kong’s sole representative to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, seem to think differently. Lau and Tam are not known to be careless with their words, which is why Hongkongers should take note. Both men said that the loss of Wong’s seat was unlikely to significantly affect the legislature’s operations.