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Hong Kong's New Legislators Sworn In
Hong Kong's newly-elected legislators were sworn in Wednesday. Legislators, elected in the territory's second Legislative Council (LegCo) polls since the 1997 handover to China, took turns to pledge allegiance to the Basic Law and to the Special Administrative Region government under Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa.
59 of the 60 legislators were sworn in.
Former vice chairman of the pro-China Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, Gary Cheng, resigned shortly after the September 10 elections when he admitted not declaring his interests to LegCo and passing a confidential document to a client.
A by-election will be held in December to replace Cheng.
The first meeting of the legislators saw Rita Fan re-elected as the council's president, after securing 38 votes against challenger Andrew Wong's 21.
Speaking after the vote, Fan said through an interpreter that the public wanted to see a pragmatic Legco.
"We want to exert influence on the administration. There has to be cooperation between ourselves and the administration," said Fan.
She said that the four-year term would enable legislators to "develop better relationships among ourselves" and expressed hope that "through the interaction between ourselves and officials we will build up a culture of trust and respect."
Members will also elect the house committee chairman and deputy as well as the head of Legco's finance committee.
Tung is expected to deliver his policy address to the council on October 11.
Some students, right of abode seekers and other protesters amassed outside the legislature in the business district of Central, shouting slogans and raising banners.
There have been numerous recent protests against the government's attempts to implement a series of public sector reforms in the civil service, welfare, medical and education sectors.
A spokesman for the Hong Kong Student Federation said they wanted the new legislature to scrap public ordinances which require police permits for demonstrations of more than 30 people.
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