Legco's Enquiry Into Kam Affair
立法會調查甘乃威 確立議會文化重要一步
文章日期:2009年11月2日

雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】KAM Nai-wai is alleged to have fired his female assistant after she has rejected his amorous advances. Last Friday, the Legislative Council (Legco) decided to deal with the matter under its censure mechanism. This is the first time since the handover that it has decided that there should be a motion to censure a legislator. The motion will become a precedent, as will the enquiry. The way the enquiry is handled will be crucial for establishing Legco's own culture. In comparison, a legislator's disqualification would be of secondary importance. We hope no Legco members who will sit on the enquiry panel will be swayed by their factiousness or prejudice. We hope they will be so impartial and objective that that their findings will find credence.


英語

甘乃威涉嫌求愛不遂解僱女助理一事,立法會上周五決定啟動取消議員資格的譴責調查機制查處事件。這是回歸以來立法會首次提出譴責議員議案,譴責動議的內容及整個調查程序將會成為立法會的先例,對立法會確立公正的議會文化極為重要,個別議員的去留反而成為次要。我們期望參與調查的議員放下黨派立場和個人成見,以高度客觀公正的作風取信於公眾。


普通話

The case is not simply one of unfair dismissal. Legislators are reimbursed for what they pay their assistants, whose pay actually comes from the public purse. Legislators' assistants are virtually public officers.


英語

甘乃威事件不是簡單的僱傭糾紛,立法會議員助理的薪金由議員實報實銷,全是公帑,議員助理變相是特區公職人員架構的一部分。


普通話

The duty members of the Legco complaints division originally wanted to have the Legco Committee on Members' Interests deal with the case. However, Legco's Secretariat subsequently discovered that, under Legco's Rules of Procedure, the Committee on Members' Interests should deal only with matters concerning interests and inaccurate expenses forms and may not deal with any complaints against any members' misconduct. The only suitable mechanism in the existing system is that for censuring a member. If a motion to censure Kam is carried by a vote of two-thirds of the Legco members present, he will be disqualified from the office.


英語

立法會接受投訴的當值議員,本來屬意由議員個人利益監察委員會(利監會)作進一步調查,但秘書處發現根據立法會《議事規則》,利監會職權限於調查利益或開支申報失實,無權調查議員道德操守方面的投訴,現制度下唯一合適的調查機制,就是可以取消議員資格的譴責調查機制,若譴責議案獲得出席全體會議的議員的三分之二多數票通過,甘乃威便會喪失立法會議員資格。


普通話

A motion to censure a Legco member may have extremely serious consequences. If it goes through Legco, the Legco president shall declare the member is no longer qualified for the office despite his mandate. Therefore, Legco members on the enquiry panel must act very cautiously to ensure that they will err neither on the side of leniency nor on the side of severity.


英語

由於譴責議案的後果可以很嚴重,若通過便會推翻選民的授權,令議員喪失資格,故負責調查的議員必須謹慎行事,毋枉毋縱。


普通話

Under Article 79 of the Basic Law, a Legco member may be censured for misbehaviour. What "misbehaviour" means for the purposes of the Article is not recorded in any precedent or authoritative document. The motion, which will include charges against Kam, will become an example. It must be precisely and properly drafted. If it is too loose, Legco may wantonly start enquiries into members' morality, and the mechanism may be used in factious strife. If it is too narrow, the enquiry may be beset with such difficulties that it may become pointless.


英語

譴責動議是建基於議員涉嫌「行為不檢」,這個詞源自《基本法》第79條,如何定義,並無權威文獻或完備先例可援,立法會在動議中羅列的指控,將會成為具示範作用的先例,必須精準恰當,若太寬鬆,會令議會日後動輒啟動針對議員私德的調查,容易淪為黨爭工具;若太嚴太窄,則會增加調查難度,變相失去意義。


普通話

This is the first time since the handover that Legco has decided that a motion to censure a member should be tabled under the Basic Law and its Rules of Procedure. The decision will prove crucial for establishing Legco's own culture. If legislators handle it with prudence and circumspection, the enquiry will help establish a good tradition of legislators keeping an eye on one another. That may help improve Legco's image and raise its members' quality.


英語

這次是回歸後立法會首次根據《基本法》及《議事規則》提出譴責議員議案,對立法會議會文化的確立有重要影響,若議員能以審慎嚴謹的態度視之,將可為議員之間的互相監察樹立優良傳統,有助提升立法會形象及議政水平。


普通話

We hope the complainant will come forward to help Legco with its enquiries. Under Legco's Rules of Procedure, it may, in reasonable circumstances, allow a witness to give evidence in camera. The case involves, prima facie, sexual harassment. It may greatly distress the complainant for her to give evidence in a public hearing. The panel has reason to keep her name and other personal data secret and hear her testimony in camera.


英語

至於事件的投訴人,我們希望她會挺身而出,協助調查,《議事規則》容許在合理情况下以閉門聆訊方式聽取證人供辭,這宗事件表面看來可能涉及性騷擾,投訴人公開作供將面對極大的精神壓力,立法會有理由安排閉門聆訊,讓事主的身分及個人資料保密,這將有助立法會查明事情真相。


普通話

Things are now such that not only Kam's fate is of importance. All legislators that will sit on the panel must realise they will write history. Every move of the enquiry will be an important step in establishing Legco's culture. They must be fair, strict, impartial and unbiased. They must regard it as their duty to get to the bottom of the matter.


英語

事情發展至今,甘乃威個人的去留已非唯一重點,各參與調查的議員必須清楚,自己在撰寫歷史,調查的每一個步驟,都是為立法會建立議會文化走的重要一步,議員必須秉持公正嚴明的原則,放下成見,以找出真相為己任。


普通話

明報社評2009.10.12

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University



Mr. William Tsang

Lecturer, Hong Kong Community College

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=eng&cms=112

袁振華博士

香港理工大學中文及雙語系講師

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