The copyright impasse: Hong Kong Legislative Council president says it is unreasonable to set a deadline for bill debate
Tsang Yok-sing comments after Chief Secretary Carrie Lam proposes two and a half extra days of debate on contentious legislation
Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing says it is “unreasonable” to set a deadline for the debate over the contentious copyright bill at this stage, despite pressure from the government No 2 to speed up the council’s proceedings.
Tsang told the media he would have to consult colleagues whether they could attend two and a half extra days of meetings next month, an idea raised to him by Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor yesterday.
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“If you ask me whether I can set a deadline [for the debate], it is unreasonable and impractical to make a decision today,” Tsang said after meeting Lam and pan-democrats separately.
“The bill is complicated and controversial. I need to see first what the councillors have to say when we come to debate the amendments before I can give an estimate of how much time is needed.”
At the centre of the dispute is the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2014, which is supported by copyright owners but opposed by internet users and pan-democrats, who want broader exemptions for fear it will be used to suppress online freedom.
Pan-democrats, in the Legco minority, have used different filibustering tactics to delay the passage of the bill since December, such as continuous quorum calls.
