China-Hong Kong
China gets four Hong Kong lawmakers disqualified, others resign en masse
Hong Kong/UNI: The Hong Kong government's decision to disqualify four opposition lawmakers on Wednesday led to a cascading effect, as 15 others from Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp in the legislature also tendered their resignation.
The government move came after China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (China's Parliament) adopted a new resolution, regarding the qualifications for members of Hong Kong's 70-seat Legislative Council.
As per a Kyodo report, the disqualified lawmakers include Dennis Kwok, Alvin Yeung and Kwok Ka-ki of the Civic Party and Kenneth Leung from the accounting sector.
These four were among a dozen candidates from the pro-democracy camp, previously barred from running in the next legislative election.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, who sought Beijing's guidance in making the decision, said they were judged to have breached their oath by not being 'truly loyal' to Hong Kong and not genuinely upholding the Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution.
The Standing Committee of China's Parliament "has made it very clear that the criteria for anyone who has taken an oath and serve as Legislative Council members but thereafter engaged in activities, which are breaching those requirements that they should immediately lose their qualifications," Lam told reporters here.
He said the Standing Committee is the ultimate authority and has the power to make legally binding decisions on basic Law.
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