HK CE: HKMAO, liaison office obliged to oversee HK affairs

HONG KONG - Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday reiterated that the central government's institutions are authorized to and responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Basic Law and "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong.

Both Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are entrusted by the central government to handle issues relating to Hong Kong, Lam said.

The central government has granted Hong Kong SAR a high degree of autonomy, but that doesn't mean that it has given up its authority, she said to a group of reporters before the weekly Executive Council meeting.

"As the Chief Executive of the SAR, I have on occasions dedicated part of the power conferred to me by the central government to certain bureau chiefs. But it doesn't mean that I, as CE, have relinquished my right to supervise in those occasions," Lam said.

The two central government bodies earlier criticized some opposition lawmakers for stalling the legislature, leaving it in semi-paralyzed leading to the holdup of many important bills.

The two bodies are authorized by the central government to exercise such supervisory power on major issues, including the proper implementation of the Basic Law and the "one country, two systems", Lam pointed out.

A dysfunction legislature is against what is required under the Basic Law, Lam noted, adding that commenting on the issue by the two bodies is constitutional and legitimate.

The real problem is the malicious filibustering by some opposition lawmakers, but some have tried to divert public attention by slandering the two institutions and questioning their roles, she added.

Lam said the SAR government apologizes for confusing the public with the three different worded statements on the issue.