South China Morning Post, October 14, 2011
A livid exchange between Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and two radical
democratic lawmakers in the Legislative Council yesterday sparked a mass walkout
by fellow democrats after the pair were ejected from the chamber for unruly
behaviour.
The uproar during a question-and-answer session a day after the chief
executive's policy address saw Tsang accuse People Power legislator Wong Yuk-man
of "thug-like" behaviour and tell him there was no place for "triad societies"
in the legislature.
Adding to the drama, League of Social Democrats lawmaker "Long Hair" Leung
Kwok-hung threw a raw egg in the chief executive's direction, which hit the wall
two or three metres above Tsang's head.
The row came as a survey indicated slightly higher public acceptance of the
policy address this year than last year and a significant lift in Tsang's
personal popularity.
Of 1,032 people interviewed on Wednesday by the University of Hong Kong's public
opinion programme, 47 per cent said they were satisfied with the address, up 6
percentage points. This year's blueprint scored 59.1 out of a possible 100
marks, up from 58.9 and third highest among Tsang's seven policy speeches.
Tsang's support rating rose 2.2 marks to 50.6.
In the Legco chamber there was bedlam after Wong yelled at the chief executive,
saying he had failed to answer his question on why he appointed unpopular
official Stephen Lam Sui-lung as chief secretary. "You are openly taking on the
public," Wong said.
Tsang replied: "This is thug-like behaviour, [the Legislative Council] is not a
place for triad societies. What on earth are you doing, Mr Wong?"
Leung stood up and called "order" to raise a point under Legco's rules which he
later explained related to his dissatisfaction that Tsang did not answer Wong's
question.
Legco president Tsang Yok-sing intervened, ejecting the maverick lawmakers for
disorderly conduct.
Outside the chamber, Leung took down a portrait of Tsang Yok-sing hanging in the
corridor and threw a tomato at it. He said it was unfair to expel him as he was
only raising a question on procedure.
The Legco president's controversial ruling prompted 14 pan-democratic lawmakers
to walk out. Lee Cheuk-yan, a lawmaker from the Confederation of Trade Unions,
said Donald Tsang's remarks amounted to offensive words against Wong.
Speaking at the close of the question-and-answer session, the chief executive
said: "Mr Wong's remarks were insulting. I was scared when Mr Leung hurled an
egg at me."
He said some lawmakers applied double standards to his remarks and the conduct
of Wong and Leung.
Afterwards he expressed "deep regret" over the verbal abuse and rude behaviour
by lawmakers that had disrupted rational discussion.
Tsang Yok-sing stood by his decision to expel Leung and Wong, saying he warned
them about their conduct.
Leung had repeatedly yelled at Donald Tsang and Wong had used some
"inappropriate words" in his question to the chief executive. But he did not
specify what the inappropriate words were.
Tsang Yok-sing also dismissed pan-democrats' criticism that he had tightened the
rules and made the decision before reviewing a video. "I don't think it's
necessary to suspend the meeting to review what happened because I was very
clear about what had happened in the chamber."
Tsang said he did not think the chief executive had used offensive words against
lawmakers as defined in the Legco rules of procedure.
Wong said he did not use any offensive words. "I was just asking a follow-up
question as the chief executive did not answer my question."
In October 2008, Wong hurled bananas at the chief executive during the policy
address.
Chinese University political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung said the Legco
president's decision was unfair to Leung as he was only raising questions on the
rules of procedure
¡@
The Standard,
October 14, 2011
Pan-democrat lawmakers stormed out of the Legislative Council yesterday
after Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen suggested radical legislator
Raymond Wong Yuk-man was behaving like a "thug" and a "triad" member. At one
stage in the mayhem, an egg was thrown at Tsang and a portrait of Legco
president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing was defaced by a tomato.
The pan-democrats who walked out were also protesting against the decision
of Jasper Tsang to eject League of Social Democrats lawmaker "Long Hair"
Leung Kwok-hung for attempting to raise a question on rules and procedures
while Wong was pressing Donald Tsang for an answer. Wong was also expelled.
Donald Tsang accused lawmakers of double standards as they chastised him
while forgiving Wong for "offensive" remarks against him.
With the president refusing to retract the expulsion order, or rule the
chief executive's remarks to be offensive, 13 pan-democrats left the chamber
half way through the question-and-answer session with Donald Tsang on his
final policy address.
Later, eight more lawmakers, six from the Democratic Party, walked out.
Donald Tsang said the chief executive and all top officials should be
entitled to the same rights as lawmakers when attending Legco meetings and
that legislators should not hold a "double standard."
The incident was sparked when Wong - speaking fiercely but without using bad
language - asked why Donald Tsang recommended Beijing to appoint Stephen Lam
Sui-lung as the chief secretary.
The question asked, Jasper Tsang told Wong to sit down. But instead he went
on to accuse Donald Tsang of going against "political ethics," a term Tsang
used in his address.
Rebuking Wong, the chief executive said: "Irrespective of Confucius,
Aristotle, current politicians or the current political system, none will
consider foul language as well as rude speech or acts as appropriate
political ethics. It's so simple."
Wong: "Is violence in the legislature considered rude? Is the government's
administrative violence considered rude? I'm now asking you a question and
you haven't answered me."
Donald Tsang: "This is totally like the act of a thug. It's not just rude.
You see. Now [here] is not a place for a triad society. Mr Wong, what
happened to you?"
Wong: "I'm now asking why you [asked Beijing to] appoint a secretary with
such a low popularity to become the chief secretary. You didn't answer!"
Meanwhile, Leung stood up and repeatedly said "order," indicating he wanted
to raise a question on rules.
Jasper Tsang then ordered Wong and Leung ejected, saying they had stopped
the meeting from going smoothly.
When Leung was about to be removed by security guards, he threw an egg at
Donald Tsang but missed.
Outside the chamber, Leung took a photo of Jasper Tsang off a wall and
hurled a tomato at it, saying: "How come you are qualified to be the
president?"
Pan-democrats asked Jasper Tsang to review his rulings.
But he argued the chief executive's remarks on a thug and a triad society
referred to "a specific occasion and specific acts" and he did not consider
he was offending a specific lawmaker. The pan-democrats walked out.
After the meeting, Donald Tsang said he was frightened when Leung threw an
egg at him.