POST REFORM VOTE：DAY 2 (20-06-2015)

Occupy Central

Occupy Central is a civil disobedience movement which began in Hong Kong on September 28, 2014. It calls on thousands of protesters to block roads and paralyse Hong Kong's financial district if the Beijing and Hong Kong governments do not agree to implement universal suffrage for the chief executive election in 2017 and the Legislative Council elections in 2020 according to "international standards." The movement was initiated by Benny Tai Yiu-ting (戴耀廷), an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, in January 2013.

Umbrella Movement

The Umbrella Movement (Chinese: 雨傘運動; pinyin: yǔsǎn yùndòng) is a loose political movement that was created spontaneously during the Hong Kong protests of 2014. Its name derives from the recognition of the umbrella as a symbol of defiance and resistance against the Hong Kong government, and the united grass-roots objection to the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) of 31 August.

The movement consists of individuals numbering in the tens of thousands who participated in the protests that began on 28 September 2014, although Scholarism, the Hong Kong Federation of Students, Occupy Central with Love and Peace,  groups are principally driving the demands for the rescission of the NPCSC decision.

Occupy Central site in Causeway Bay was cleared as police moved in  ...

Hong Kong reform vote

The Hong Kong government’s political reform proposal for how the city elects its leader by universal suffrage for the first time in 2017 is based on a strict framework set by Beijing. The plan limits the number of candidates to two or three and requires them to win majority support from a 1,200 strong nominating committee. Arguing that this does not constitute genuine universal suffrage, pan-democratic lawmakers have vowed to reject the package, while pro-democracy groups have protested. The government’s resolution was to be put to a vote by the 70-member Legislative Council in June 2015, requiring a two-thirds majority to be passed.

POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 186

POST REFORM VOTE：DAY 2

Full coverage of the day’s events on 20-06

Lawmakers busy to explain their walkout


Pro-government lawmakers were busy on Friday trying to explain their walkout from the legislature on the previous day, just as the government's reform package was being voted on.

They had wanted to force a lack of quorum so that one of their colleagues Lau Wong-fat could rush back to vote. But that tactics backfired and ended in a vote which showed an overwhelming rejection of the package -- by a margin of 28 to 8.

Unionist Wong Kwok-kin said those who came up with the idea should shoulder the responsibility.

DAB's Tam Yiu-chung said it was a "big lesson to learn", but added it was Jeffrey Lam from the Business and Professionals Alliance who took the lead.

And, an emotional New People's Party chairwoman, Regina Ip Lau Shuk-yee , shed tears during an interview when she recalled the moment.


Leung to rebuild ties with lawmakers via livelihood initiatives


By putting 11 livelihood initiatives that had been announced in the Budget before the finance committee next Friday the Government hopes to forge a new relationship with Legco members, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said today.

He said it was “the wish on the part of the Government.’’

Leung said the 11 initiatives are being put to the committee because Hong Kong needs to “move on with economic and livelihood issues that are already in the pipeline so that the community – the community whether they are the underprivileged in Hong Kong, public housing tenants or civil servants and so on, so forth – could feel the benefits of these initiatives as soon as they can and as soon as we can, and that's the reason why we want the finance committee of Legislative Council, subject to their agreement, to address these issues first.’’



Political reforms) Lawmaker Ip ends up teary-eyed


New People's Party lawmaker Regina Ip broke down during a radio program today, while discussing the defeat of the political reform package yesterday. 

Ip was overcome with emotion as she mentioned the farcical walkout by pro-government lawmakers. 

“I really wanted to cast my vote," Ip said as she broke down. 

Every party had been working hard for the last 20 months and that she was saddened that the proposal did not pass despite mass support. 

Civic Party leader Alan Leong, who was also on the same radio program, consoled Ip. 
Leong said if the pro-Beijing politicians really wanted democracy for Hong Kong, they should collaborate with the pan-democrats.