民主派須知分寸 政府勿乘人之危

<轉載自2017年7月18日 明報 社評>

高等法院裁定4名立法會議員宣誓無效，喪失議員資格，雖然行政長官林鄭月娥否認有「開戰」意圖，強調無意再就議員宣誓問題申請司法覆核，惟政治風暴未見平息，泛民議員紛紛「開價」，要求政府作出種種妥協和承諾。現屆政府重申改善行政立法關係誠意未變，當然不應乘人之危，趁機提出備受爭議的法案，不過泛民議員也應知所分寸，不應開列於理不合、有違法治精神的條件，更不應以民生議題作為要脅。

法治精神必須維護 勿以民生議題要脅

劉小麗、梁國雄、羅冠聰和姚松炎因為宣誓無效失去議員資格，泛民反應激烈，表明「再不能一切如常」，有人提出總辭抗爭、有人誓言發起不合作運動向政府還擊，亦有人向林太「開價」，要她採取行動「拆彈」，就連36億元教育新資源撥款能否在明天立法會財委會過關，也成了未知之數。有非建制派議員更聲言，民主派應該要有「博弈策略」，衡量相關教育撥款對民主派還是政府更重要，要脅之意不言而喻。

民主派議員開會商討對策，迄今未有共識。雖然民主派會議召集人涂謹申表示，教育撥款「並非人質」，然而同時又強調民主派不是一個政黨，不能要求各議員有一致決定，林太面對現時局面，應當「知道如何做」。泛民說法模稜兩可，難免令教育界難以安寢。自從政府公布36億元教育撥款安排後，不少學校已着手準備增加常額教席，倘若撥款功虧一簣，校方和不少合約教師勢必大失預算。教協向立法會全體議員發信，懇請盡早通過教育新資源，說明了教育界的憂慮，泛民議員應當以民生大局為重，勿拿公眾利益作為博弈籌碼。

自從上周高院裁決後，泛民議員強調林太只承諾不再司法覆核議員資格，並不足夠，要求她採取更多實際行動，展示修補撕裂「誠意」，然而部分要求於理不合。例如有當事人提出，希望透過上訴，為香港社會尋求「合理的法律解釋」，說得大義凜然，然而另一邊廂又表示，倘若他們上訴，政府應以「公眾利益」為由「不答辯」，「還他們議席」。有關要求說到底不過是要政府不按正常法律程序辦事，確保他們上訴得直，而不是由上訴方和政府各自力陳法律觀點，讓上訴庭定斷；所謂「尋求合理法律解釋」之說，令人懷疑。

今次法院裁決，對4名當事人無疑構成相當大的財政壓力，倘若無法支付敗訴費用，有可能破產，失去參加補選資格，有泛民人士就要求政府放棄追討4人訟費。常言道「法律不外乎人情」，不過也不能事事不依規矩辦事。高院法官曾指出，一般情况下，敗訴一方需支付訟費給勝訴一方，唯有涉及公眾利益時方可豁免。如果4名當事人和泛民人士認為今次案件符合豁免條件，應當向法院提出；要求政府放棄追討訟費，明顯有悖於本港訴訟慣例，容易惹來繞過司法機關的質疑。

政治風暴有危有機 掌握分寸助建互信

有泛民議員批評，今次法院褫奪議員資格「違背民主原則」，認為只有選民能決定議員去留，有關說法予人感覺是議員可凌駕法治，值得商榷。誠然，為減少香港市民對一國兩制的憂慮，人大釋法應當盡量避免，然而也必須承認，根據《基本法》 ，人大確有權釋法，釋法內容會成為法律一部分，法院必須跟從。泛民希望林太以具體行動證明有誠意修補撕裂，想法可以理解，不過提出的要求也必須實事求是，不應將政治訴求與「法外開恩」混為一談。

政治操作一時一地，法治精神才是千秋萬載，各方應堅持法治原則，否則香港管治將後患無窮，今次宣誓案判決不僅考驗林太拆彈能力，同時亦考驗泛民拿揑分寸的本事。泛民擔心政府會否利用4名議員出缺機會，推出備受爭議法案，又或趁着先後有6人喪失立法會議員資格，刻意一口氣補選，填補6席空缺，讓建制派有機會在地區直選搶走泛民議席。這些問題並非直接涉及宣誓案裁決內容，泛民有理由提出要求，例如先就游蕙禎、梁頌恆議席出缺舉行補選，之後再處理另外4席補選，政府亦應慎重考慮，妥善回應，不應乘人之危。另外，立法會行管會是否追討劉小麗、梁國雄、羅冠聰和姚松炎4人薪津，也應酌情考慮，畢竟他們都是在立法會主席裁定宣誓有效後才行使議員職責。今次宣誓案裁決掀起的政治波瀾無疑洶湧，然而有危就有機，如果政府和泛民好好掌握分寸，拿出誠意化解僵局，對建立互信可以有莫大好處。

Government and pan-democrats should both act appropriately

FOUR Legislative Councillors, whose oaths have been found to be invalid by the High Court, have now lost their seats. Chief Executive Carrie Lam has denied that she intends to "pick a fight" and stressed that she is not going to file for judicial review on the oaths taken by other lawmakers. But the political storm has not subsided, with pan-democratic lawmakers making demands one after another and asking the government to make all sorts of compromises and promises.

The pan-democratic camp has reacted strongly to the loss of seats of the four lawmakers — namely Lau Siu-lai, Leung Kwok-hung, Nathan Law and Edward Yiu — as their oaths have been deemed invalid. Saying that "it is not business as usual any more", some people of the camp have suggested that the democratic lawmakers should resign en masse in protest. Some have vowed to launch a non-cooperation movement in retaliation. Some have issued a demand to Carrie Lam, asking her to defuse the situation. It has now become uncertain whether the $3.6 billion funding for new educational resources will be approved by the Legco Finance Committee tomorrow. Some non-establishment lawmakers have, in a thinly-veiled threat, even claimed that the pan-democratic camp should employ a strategy based on political calculation on who — the pan-democrats or the government — needs the education funding most.

The pan-democratic lawmakers have convened a meeting to discuss their response to the lawsuit, but they have not arrived at a consensus. Though James To, convener of the pan-democratic camp, has said that the funding for educational resources "is not being held hostage", he has at the same time stressed that the pan-democratic camp is not a political party, that it is impossible to bind all lawmakers to one course of action, and that Carrie Lam should "know what to do" faced with such a situation. The ambiguity of the pan-democrats' position will do little to lay the worries of educators to rest. Since the government announced its plan for the $3.6 billion education funding, many schools have been making active preparations for increasing permanent teaching positions. If the funding request falls through, many schools and teachers working under contract will be caught off guard. The Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union's letter to all Legislative Councillors pleading with them to approve the funding request as soon as possible well illustrates the worries of the education sector. The pan-democrats should act in the best interests of the public rather than use the public interest as a bargaining chip.

Political maneuvres can only affect a certain place at a certain time. It is the spirit of the rule of law that should last forever. All sides should stick to the principles of the rule of law or the governance of Hong Kong will be in endless trouble. The ruling on the oath-taking will put to the test not only Carrie Lam's ability to defuse the situation but also the pan-democrats' ability to act tactfully. The pan-democrats are worried that the government will introduce controversial bills when there are four empty seats at Legco, or hold by-elections for the six seats left vacant by disqualified lawmakers at the same time so as to give the pro-establishment camp the chance to win seats in geographical constituency direct elections. The pan-democrats have reason to raise these issues as they are not directly related to the ruling. They can, for example, demand that the government hold by-elections for seats vacated by Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Leung first and for the other four seats later. The government should consider the matter carefully and respond appropriately rather than take advantage of the difficulties faced by the pan-democrats. Furthermore, the Legislative Council Commission should consider the matter of whether to recover the salaries and allowances paid to Lau Siu-lai, Leung Kwok-hung, Nathan Law and Edward Yiu on a case-by-case basis. After all, they did not start discharging their duties as lawmakers until their oaths were ruled to be valid by the Legco president.

民主派須知分寸 政府勿乘人之危

高等法院裁定4名立法會議員宣誓無效，喪失議員資格，雖然行政長官林鄭月娥否認有「開戰」意圖，強調無意再就議員宣誓問題申請司法覆核，惟政治風暴未見平息，泛民議員紛紛「開價」，要求政府作出種種妥協和承諾。

劉小麗、梁國雄、羅冠聰和姚松炎因為宣誓無效失去議員資格，泛民反應激烈，表明「再不能一切如常」，有人提出總辭抗爭、有人誓言發起不合作運動向政府還擊，亦有人向林太「開價」，要她採取行動「拆彈」，就連36億元教育新資源撥款能否在明天立法會財委會過關，也成了未知之數。有非建制派議員更聲言，民主派應該要有「博弈策略」，衡量相關教育撥款對民主派還是政府更重要，要脅之意不言而喻。

民主派議員開會商討對策，迄今未有共識。雖然民主派會議召集人涂謹申表示，教育撥款「並非人質」，然而同時又強調民主派不是一個政黨，不能要求各議員有一致決定，林太面對現時局面，應當「知道如何做」。泛民說法模稜兩可，難免令教育界難以安寢。自從政府公布36億元教育撥款安排後，不少學校已着手準備增加常額教席，倘若撥款功虧一簣，校方和不少合約教師勢必大失預算。教協向立法會全體議員發信，懇請盡早通過教育新資源，說明了教育界的憂慮，泛民議員應當以民生大局為重，勿拿公眾利益作為博弈籌碼。

政治操作一時一地，法治精神才是千秋萬載，各方應堅持法治原則，否則香港管治將後患無窮，今次宣誓案判決不僅考驗林太拆彈能力，同時亦考驗泛民拿揑分寸的本事。泛民擔心政府會否利用4名議員出缺機會，推出備受爭議法案，又或趁着先後有6人喪失立法會議員資格，刻意一口氣補選，填補6席空缺，讓建制派有機會在地區直選搶走泛民議席。這些問題並非直接涉及宣誓案裁決內容，泛民有理由提出要求，例如先就游蕙禎、梁頌恆議席出缺舉行補選，之後再處理另外4席補選，政府亦應慎重考慮，妥善回應，不應乘人之危。另外，立法會行管會是否追討劉小麗、梁國雄、羅冠聰和姚松炎4人薪津，也應酌情考慮，畢竟他們都是在立法會主席裁定宣誓有效後才行使議員職責。