A woman signs a petition supporting the disqualification of four opposition lawmakers during a signature campaign in Sheung Wan on Nov 12, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG - More than 410,000 Hong Kong residents signed an online petition supporting the disqualification of four Legislative Council members on Thursday, a day after the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, announced qualifications requirement for HK lawmakers.
The petition, launched on Wednesday in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), was organized by District Council Observers, a local concern group.
The petition, launched on Wednesday in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was organized by District Council Observers, a local concern group
The petition asks whether respondents agree with five statements: By advocating “mutual destruction”, the opposition bloc ruined Hong Kong; Disqualified lawmakers are ineligible to serve in the extended LegCo term in a legal sense; Their performance in the legislature was disappointing; The decision by NPCSC has solid legal foundation; and the principle “Patriots governing Hong Kong” is perfectly justified.
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More street booths were planned to be set up across the city’s 18 districts by various political parties on Thursday to allow residents to express their support for the HKSAR government’s decision.
The four ousted legislators were Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung Kai-cheong.
Their nominations to stand for the seventh-term LegCo election, which was originally set for Sept 6, were invalidated by the returning officers because they “could not genuinely uphold” the city’s Basic Law, and swear allegiance to the HKSAR of the People’s Republic of China.
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A man signs a petition supporting the disqualification of four opposition lawmakers during a signature campaign in Sha Tin on Nov 12, 2020 (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
