Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam speaks at a press conference in Hong Kong. Photo: AFP

A motion initiated by opposition camp lawmakers to remove Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam from office failed to pass through the Legislative Council on Thursday, and pro-establishment lawmakers noted that passing the motion could only bring more chaos.

The motion, launched under Article 73 of the Basic Law, received 16 votes for and 14 against in the geographical constituency and 10 votes for and 22 against in the functional constituency. The motion needed a majority in both constituencies to pass, the South China Morning Post reported Thursday.

Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, the chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR government said no evidence shows that Chief Executive Carrie Lam had violated the law or was involved in malpractice, so the motion to impeach her is groundless, and he urged opposition camp lawmakers not to support or condone violence, Hong Kong-based Wen Wei Po reported. 

Before the vote, Cheung said on behalf of the government that the withdrawal of the extradition bill had put a "perfect full stop" to the source of the conflict.

"People's concerns should have been completely alleviated," he noted.

Starry Lee Wai-king, chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, who was also a pro-establishment lawmaker who voted against the motion, said the people only saw the Hong Kong Police Force fight to stop violence and chaos, while other government departments didn't do enough, so they are unsatisfied with the government to some extent.

"But in this tough period, if the motion got passed, it would bring greater political unrest and instability in society," she stressed.