Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying says Beijing has the "absolute right to condemn" lawmakers, after pan-democrat lawmakers accused the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) of interfering with the SAR's internal affairs, RTHK reports. Leung, who is vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, wrote in a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday that comments from pan-democrats that the HKMAO were interfering with Hong Kong's internal affairs were "obviously misleading". Leung took aim at legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok, who has been presiding over the committee meetings, for deliberately stalling the House Committee chair elections "for the sake of personal political interests". On Monday, the HKMAO issued a statement accusing opposition lawmakers of disrupting normal operations in the council, and of abusing their power by delaying the election process for a House Committee chair. The statement also claimed that opposition lawmakers have ignored the public interest for political gain, and questioned whether the pan-dems have breached their lawmaker oaths, and are guilty of misconduct in public office.

Source: The Standard April 14, 2020 04:30 UTC