Extraordinary voting result. Why did only eight pro-Beijing-plan lawmakers vote Yes? Worried about their future from both directions?
[update] the answer from Reddit.
- Bill is taken to vote because nobody requested to speak
- Pro-gov’t camp want to wait for Lau Wong Fat before voting proceed. Their strategy is based on the rule that at least 35 members have to be in the hall before a bill can be put to a vote. If not enough members are present, the chairman will have to put up a PA bell to ask for members to return to the hall. If there still is not enough people in 15 minutes, the meeting will be adjourned. Pro-gov’t camp want to take this 15 min so that Lau can return to the LegCo.
- Pro-gov’t camp members proceed to leave the hall, but apparently due to ‘communication error’, 8 members didn’t get the memo, so 28 pan-dem + 8 pro-gov’t are still in the hall.
- 36>35, so voting proceed with 28 against and 8 for. The bill is vetoed.
[/update]
What a splendid irony. Gaming a voting system fails to introduce a gamed voting system.
Just read the reason why. Doh! >rolls eyes, shakes head<
Just amazing incompetence. But not surprising, I guess.
Looks very much like a stunt to me. At the very least, this means they once again can ask for the rules to be bent in their favor with a revote, while still having the original record of the democrats being “enemies of China”. If the democrats put up a fight about following the rules, then the DAB can accuse them of hypocrisy for supporting Occupy, throwing bananas, cups of water, etc.
Could be. I wonder if not voting yes (which is counted in the system as an implicit no) is a worse position for a pro-Beijinger than voting no. All eyes on upcoming elections for those eight ayes.
Fortunately they have a history of incompetence, so it is a believable cover.
‘Farcical. I feel sorry for Hong Kong’ – Emily Lau
The China Liaison Office is already condemning the historical responsibility of the democrats, but making no mention of the pro-establishment walkout.
Here is the article saying that the China Liaison Office “understands” what happened: http://news.mingpao.com/ins/%E3%80%90%E6%94%BF%E6%94%B9%E5%90%A6%E6%B1%BA%E3%80%91%E6%A2%81%E5%90%9B%E5%BD%A5%E8%AA%8D%E5%88%B0%E4%B8%AD%E8%81%AF%E8%BE%A6%E8%A7%A3%E9%87%8B%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6%E3%80%80%E7%A8%B1%E5%B0%8D%E6%96%B9%E8%A1%A8%E7%A4%BA%E7%90%86%E8%A7%A3/web_tc/article/20150618/s00001/1434625357046