Pan-dems condemn Eddie Chu rural polls ban
Local | 3 Dec 2018 2:15 pm
The pro-democracy camp today issued a joint statement, accusing the government of "moving the goalpost” and "extending the red line” however and whenever it wants.
The condemnation came a day after fellow Land Justice League lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick had his rural representative election bid ruled invalid.
Labour Party lawmaker Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung said the latest case shows just how the administration will continue to clamp down on people’s rights.
"This is the first time that the loyalty or the pledge to position itself against Hong Kong independence has gone before Article 104," he said.
Article 104 of the Basic Law states that the Chief Executive, principal officials, Executive Council and Legislative Council members, as well as judges and other members of the judiciary must swear to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
"Village representatives are not within the realm of that article," Cheung pointed out. "We're afraid that this extension could go beyond that further if Hong Kong people accept what is done to Eddie Chu."
But Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong chairwoman Starry Lee Wai-king defended the decision to bar Chu, saying the government has the power to candidates.
"Every election is established by the Hong Kong SAR government," she said, "I think to be fair, it is expected all candidates should fulfill the same requirement – that is a very basic requirement [that] you have to show that you are basically in support of the Basic Law."
Meanwhile the chairman of the mainland's Legislative Affairs Commission, Shen Chunyao, who visited Legco on today did not respond to the questions about the controversy.
When asked, Legco President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen said he did not discuss the issue with Shen, who is also head of the Basic Law Committee. Photo:-RTHK
