Hong Kong’s new lawmakers must demonstrate ‘effective democracy’, John Lee says

Hong Kong’s new lawmakers should stay united and cooperate with the government to demonstrate “effective democracy” and the “perfect partnership of patriots”, the city’s leader has said.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu was speaking at a high-level seminar on Thursday centering on executive-legislature relations amid a wave of incumbent lawmakers announcing they will not seek re-election after the current Legislative Council wraps up next week.

The seminar, titled “Executive-Legislative Collaboration for Good Governance and a Better Future” and led by Lee, is regarded as a curtain-raiser for the coming Legco poll that will provide guidance on the government’s expectations of the incoming lawmakers.

Lee hailed the current term of lawmakers, the first batch returned under Beijing’s “patriots-only” electoral overhaul, for “completely reversing” the past situation, when the legislature was hijacked by the anti-China forces.

“There are no longer filibusters or adjournments of meetings any more. [Lawmakers] no longer deliberately insult officials or paralyse proceedings, disrupt governance, publicly collude with foreign forces and agents, or seek foreign sanctions against officials and judicial officers,” he said.

“We no longer see any acts which seriously threaten national security or jeopardise the city’s constitutional order, rule of law and social order.”

He also praised the high efficiency of lawmakers by pointing to the some 130 bills they passed in the past four years, including the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance as well as the law regulating ride-hailing services in the city.