Hong Kong’s public finances could be seriously damaged if pro-democratic lawmakers boycott the extended LegCo session in protest against the delayed election, a Democratic Party lawmaker has warned.

Andrew Wan issued the caution amid a debate by pro-democracy lawmakers over whether a LegCo boycott is the most effective way to protest against the delay in LegCo elections. Wan is concerned that an absence of pro-democrats would give the government a free hand to spend public money lavishly without oversight.

He cited the controversial Lantau Tomorrow Vision, a HK$624 billion (US$80 billion) artificial island project tabled by Chief Executive Carrie Lam in 2019. Its planned launch was delayed when opposition lawmakers blocked its application for HK$550 million in feasibility study funding during the last LegCo term, Wan recalled.

The Legislative Council elections were supposed to take place on Sept. 6 but the government decided to postpone it for a year, citing the COVID-19 outbreak. The National People’s Congress endorsed the extension of the current LegCo term for another year, until the next lawmakers' elections.

Pro-democratic lawmakers have been debating whether or not to continue attending the extended sessions. Pro-boycott lawmakers argue that the session’s extension violates the principle of democracy, while the anti-boycott side warns of a potentially ruinous drain on the public purse from projects like Lantau Tomorrow Vision.

Wan stressed that, by remaining in the legislature, pro-democrats could fight “until the last minute”, blocking bills that go against the public’s interest. Their presence would also serve as “an eyesore” to the pro-Beijing camp, he added.

District councilor Sam Cheung, who supports a full boycott, said the continued presence by democratic lawmakers would not stop Beijing from passing legislation such as the national security law, bypassing the local legislature. Further, he argued, even if pro-democratic lawmakers remained and somehow stopped the passing of projects like Lantau Tomorrow Vision, the sacrifice of the principle of democracy would not be worth it.

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