Huang Jinhui’s drunk driving | Li Huiqiong did not directly respond on when the report would be connected, and believes lawmakers will be more vigilant.

Huang Jinhui, who was arrested on four charges including alleged drunk driving and leaving the scene without taking responsibility, has stepped down as a Legislative Council member. Legislative Council President Li Huiqiong believes that public discussion and attention regarding Huang Jinhui’s case will further make lawmakers more vigilant and more stringent in their own requirements. She believes lawmakers should draw lessons from the incident, be more cautious, more serious, and fulfill their duties conscientiously, and respond to society’s expectations of the Legislative Council.

As for when she learned of news about Huang Jinhui’s alleged drunk driving, Li Huiqiong said the matter has been handed over to the police for follow-up, and the court will deal with it fairly and impartially. She will not publicly recount the details of the incident, and believes that Huang Jinhui’s resignation is taking responsibility for the matter.

When asked whether the lawmakers’ code of conduct needs to be updated, Li Huiqiong said that each lawmaker must strictly comply with the relevant code, and if there are matters to report, they must notify the President in a timely manner. As for whether the code requirements would be further tightened, she said reviews are usually conducted in the later stage of each legislative session, and she believes Huang Jinhui’s case will be an important example.

Asked about whether the Legislative Council’s Committee on Members’ Interests and Complaints failed to initiate the relevant procedures promptly in the incident and whether it would consider reviewing the mechanism, Li Huiqiong said that it is not necessarily the case that the committee follows up only after members of the public file complaints, emphasizing that she has been highly concerned and busy dealing with the incident all along. She also said that “timely” is the wording used in the rules, and lawmakers should notify the President or relevant parties as soon as possible under reasonable circumstances. As for whether there would be a by-election to fill the vacant seat, Li Huiqiong said it is up to the government to decide.

Separately, Li Huiqiong said that half a year has passed since the members of the Eighth Legislative Council took office. To facilitate the public in understanding the Legislative Council’s work, it has launched a “Weekly Meeting Digest,” which briefly explains the key points of the Legislative Council meetings each week, selecting issues that the public cares about.