Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam is suffering an average of one horrible mess per day so far this week. So, about average.
Separation-of-powers-Gate stirs not only pro-democrats, but the government’s own supporters. It’s not every day pro-Beijing figures put serious effort into making sense – but they’re doing their best. New Territories lawyer/lawmaker Junius Ho says the three branches of government are separate, but not really. While Ronny Tong lapses into mysticism, claiming that it’s ‘an argument about nothing and depends on your perspective’. Only the guileless Priscilla Leung suggests that the principle has been a chimera all along, and the CCP rules over all.
Meanwhile, the HK Police’s problem with the ‘pregnant object’ in Mongkok two days ago has officials scrambling to sound concerned about a civilian victim while not in any way criticizing undisciplined cops’ rampaging in the streets. Thus Carrie Lam’s feeble hand-wringing pushing blame away from the cops. For a more robust line, Globular Times theorizes that the pregnant woman knocked to the ground by police was all an act staged by evil splittists, presumably funded by the CIA – ‘to smear police, which is their old trick’. Saying sorry, we screwed up just isn’t an option.
At least these excitements are distracting from the so-far modest turnout for the government’s mass-virus-screening thing. People are staying away because they genuinely fear the CCP will gather up their DNA, or because they at least want to send a message along those lines, or they’ve read the medical experts’ skepticism about the exercise, or they don’t want a giant Q-Tip stuck up their nose.
Still looking forward to seeing the pictures of Lam, government cronies and pro-CCP trough dwellers with a huge Q-Tip up the nose plastered across the press – hopefully administered by a HK public health doctor.
So… Xianggang has no separation of powers, but the government will continue to boast about our status as Asia’s World City with an independent judiciary. Splendid.
@Chris Maden: Don’t forget the “free” press (chuckle)
President Lam should announce that she is setting in-train the process for the HKSAR to take custody of THAT pregnant woman’s child. Clearly, the soon-to-be mother is irresponsible and cannot be entrusted to act in its best interests (if I were the father, or even a close family member, I’d be apoplectic). Moreover, it would rev up the locals plus it would give the bed-wetting foreign press a story to suckle away on for a day or three.
“President Lam should announce that she is setting in-train the process for the HKSAR to take custody of THAT pregnant woman’s child. Clearly, the soon-to-be mother is irresponsible and cannot be entrusted to act in its best interests (if I were the father, or even a close family member, I’d be apoplectic). Moreover, it would rev up the locals plus it would give the bed-wetting foreign press a story to suckle away on for a day or three.”
Wow “Dr” George Adams of the NTSCMP sure gets nasty when he thinks he’s anonymous.
The most notable thing about Carrie’s speech was not her highly dubious constitutional argument, but the way she aggrandized herself as the only important person in the whole system, through whom all good things flow. “Pride goeth before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs, 16:18).
Low Profile – remember Carrie on regardless believes she has a place awaiting her in heaven. The sooner she goes there – or, more likely, in the opposite direction – the better for us all.
Another possible reason for a low response rate for the free test could be that, having denied an election, HKers are finding another way to express their dissatisfaction. (Or they took the government’s word that there is a higher risk of gping to the many polling stations now being used as testing centres).
It could explain the Head Girl’s almost-hysterical response to any criticism of the scheme, even by those far more qualified than her to comment: she is worried about getting yet another poor mark in her latest test.
I guess the UFW Dept have to reinterpret it, because now that Oz the Great and Terrible has said there is no separation of powers, it follows that there is no independent judiciary, which then of course means that there is no rule of law.*
That last detail is a bit of a deal breaker when you’re trying to attract any company that might want to trust a contract to open an office or invest here: Shanghai is less politically risky China access, Singapore is more legally secure, Hong Kong is basically superfluous.
*According to HKU — quoted because (rather than in spite) of its continued slide into a sixth rate bastion of Communist toadies, lickspittles and other charlatans with unwarranted pretensions to intellect.
“The rule of law requires that the courts are independent of the Government Executive bodies. This independence is crucial if impartial rulings are to be given in judging the legality of the acts carried out by the Government.”
https://www.clic.org.hk/en/topics/hkLegalSystem/theRuleOfLaw/index.shtml
The government version of rule of law skates over the independent judiciary part, stating: “The institutions and core values that underpinned the previous legal system, such as the presumption of innocence, freedoms of expression and association and the right to a fair trial have been retained.”
https://www.info.gov.hk/info/sar5/elaw_1.htm
Naturally, all of those troublesome “institutions and core values” have been safely negated by the NSL, so now anyone at any point in spacetime can be found guilty of thought crimes at a secret (AKA “rigged”) trial on the basis of secret (AKA “no”) evidence at the CCP’s convenience.
@ Gromit
even by those far more qualified than her to comment
But, but, she is the Elect of Eleven, she knows everything…qualifications, pfff, not wanted on voyage.
No separation of powers but there still being an independent judiciary and the rule of law sounds very much like the HK government/CCP is trying to have its cake and eat it – yet again!
It is reassuring to note that despite all our recent travails the lauded Lion Rock Spirit is still alive and well and locals will exploit any avenue open to ……….. exploitation. Recent government measures come with a screw me disclaimer and sure enough
https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/15-people-arrested-for-attempting-to-defraud-under-the-anti-epidemic-fund-amounting-to-hk3-87m/
Of course we all know that this is just the tip of the iceberg and those apprehended are amateur ‘small fry’ while the big crocs are licking their chops as they work out devious arrangements to milk the next round.
@MaryMelville although that article is valid, DimSum daily is a blue ribbon source of news and they’ve posted fake news before already.
SCMP has similar coverage but with the paywall there is no point in posting link to its articles. DimSum is of course blue but it does provide news, like the number of suicides per day, road accidents, that is no longer covered by SCMP or Standard.