Debate rages on forming select committee focusing solely on the controversial bill
The Legislative Council finished its second reading of the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2014 andheaded into the next step - a discussion of a motion on setting up a select committee dedicatedto the bill.
Such an arrangement would allow LegCo to discuss other agendas, but may slow downdiscussions on the bill. If blocked, the legislature may have to hear a new wave of endlessspeeches before voting, as "pan-democrats" are standing firm on making further amendments.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So Kam-leung voiced hisopposition to launching such a new body. This is because lawmakers would have to spend a lotof time laying down the ground rules before discussions could start.
Instead, he expressed his determination to get the bill passed in the coming full-membermeeting.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said thegovernment had "no plans" to shelve the bill. She also dismissed speculation about thepossibility of the government making concessions on the controversial bill.
Lam reiterated the government was still confident about getting the bill passed in LegCo.
Her comments were slightly different from those in a previous interview she gave with localChinese newspapers published on Thursday. Then, she said the government "does not ruleout shelving the copyright bill", noting that 18 other bills are waiting to be tabled before LegCo'scurrent term ends in September.
Lam explained she made the remarks because the government "could not rule out anything"and was not operating in a normal environment.
Strange things were now happening in LegCo, Lam added. She said the tactics of calling aquorum were wasting a lot of time.
"So, in this sort of abnormal situation, it is not for me to say that something definitely would orwould not happen," she said.
The lawmaker representing the publishing sector, Ma Fung-kwok, said the matter should not beallowed to drag on any further. A decision should be made now, he said.
Ma said it would be a disaster for the industry if the bill could not be passed as piracy activitieswould continue.
Veteran commentator and Professor at the Research Center of Hong Kong and Macao BasicLaw at Shenzhen University Song Sio-chong expressed concern that the "pan-democrats" werestill using delaying tactics. This was in the hope of making the bill a political issue in order toinfluence voters in the LegCo election in September, he said.
However, Song also argued that the government had not explained the bill adequately to thepublic.

Source: China Daily