National People’s Congress to immediately DQ four lawmakers at the request of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, pan-democrats announce general resignation
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) has passed the “Bill on the Qualifications of Legislative Council Members”, deciding that any person who advocates or supports the idea of “Hong Kong independence”, seeks intervention in Hong Kong’s affairs by forces outside Hong Kong, or engages in other acts that endanger national security is incompatible with the requirements and conditions of upholding the Hong Kong Basic Law and pledging allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and shall immediately lose his or her membership in the Legislative Council upon conviction.
According to Chinese official media Xinhua News Agency, the NPCSC proposed the motion at the request of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. About 10 minutes after the NPCSC announced its decision, the Hong Kong government issued a press release announcing the immediate disqualification of Yang Yueqiao, Kwok Wing-kang, Kwok Ka-ki and Leung Kai-cheong from the Legislative Council, commonly known as DQ.
The pan-democratic camp held a press conference in the evening, and 15 legislators (excluding the four DQ members) announced their resignation.
Chestnut Changshu: NPC Standing Committee unanimously considers decision necessary and appropriate
According to Xinhua, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), having considered and adopted the “Proposal of the State Council on Requesting a Decision on the Question of Eligibility for the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”, made the following three decisions.
Any Member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region who, by reason of his/her advocacy of or support for “Hong Kong independence”, his/her refusal to recognize the State’s ownership and exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, his/her seeking interference in the affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by foreign powers or forces outside Hong Kong, or his/her other acts that endanger national security, does not meet the legal requirements and conditions of upholding the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, and owes allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, shall be immediately disqualified from being a Member of the Legislative Council upon being determined in accordance with law.
This decision shall apply to those members of the sixth term Legislative Council whose nominations for the election for the seventh term of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region scheduled to be held on 6 September 2020 have been ruled invalid by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with law as a result of the above-mentioned circumstances during the nomination period for the election. In the event of any of the above circumstances occurring in the future, the present decision shall apply to those who stand for election or become members of the Legislative Council.
Any person who loses his or her eligibility to be a member of the Legislative Council in accordance with the above provisions shall be declared by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), made a speech at the closing ceremony of the meeting, pointing out that the adoption of the decision on the issue of eligibility for membership of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong is an important piece of legislation for the NPC Standing Committee to uphold and improve the system of “one country, two systems” and to safeguard China’s national security and the constitutional order of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with the law. The NPC Standing Committee unanimously agreed that the decision is necessary and appropriate.
Li Zhangshu said the decision is in line with the fundamental interests of “all Chinese people, including our compatriots in Hong Kong”, conducive to safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, conducive to the long-term stability and prosperous development of Hong Kong, conducive to the normal operation of Hong Kong, and conducive to the gathering of positive energy in Hong Kong society, making concerted efforts to boost the economy and safeguard people’s livelihood.
He stressed the need to fully and accurately implement the Basic Law, the National Security Law and the interpretation and decisions of the NPC Standing Committee, to push forward local legislation in the HKSAR, to implement Hong Kong’s legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding China’s national security, to ensure that Hong Kong public officials meet the statutory conditions and requirements, to uphold the constitutional order of the HKSAR as stipulated in the Chinese Constitution and the Hong Kong Basic Law, and to ensure that “one country, two systems” is stable and far-reaching.
Guo Rong-kang: Disqualification only honorable, no regret
The four DQ-appointed lawmakers left the chamber and met with the media as the Legislative Council was in session.
The government said it was not aware of the need for the government to take action to protect the rights of the people of Hong Kong. He stressed that anyone who makes the decision to become a DQ councilor needs to be accountable to history and all Hong Kong people.
Leung said the incident does not symbolize the death of Hong Kong, because Hong Kong people will continue to protect core values, including democracy, rule of law and freedom. Yang Yueqiao pointed out that since he is a Hong Kong citizen, he can only continue to trust the spirit of Hong Kong people.
Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor: Disqualified candidates cannot fulfill their responsibilities as legislators
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has admitted that she brought the issue of eligibility to the attention of the NPC Standing Committee, because she believes that those disqualified from running in the election cannot fulfill their responsibilities as legislators.
Speaking to the media, Mrs Lam questioned whether the “four persons whose nominations were ruled by law to be invalid, i.e. ineligible to run in the Legislative Council election, because they were found not to have sincerely supported the Basic Law and owed allegiance to the HKSAR” should be allowed to continue to perform their duties as legislators.
She stated that, in simple logic, a person who did not meet the statutory requirements and conditions for eligibility to stand for election as a Legislative Council member would also not meet the statutory requirements and conditions for serving as a Legislative Council member. In her view, allowing the relevant persons to serve as LegCo members would be a clear deviation from Article 104 of the Basic Law.
She pointed out that the Hong Kong Government could not make its own decision on the DQ members and requested the State Council of China to request the NPC Standing Committee to resolve the issue from a constitutional perspective. She claimed that the NPC Standing Committee’s decision was “reasonable, constitutional, legal and necessary”.
Commenting on the pan-democrats’ forecast of a possible resignation yesterday, Mrs Lam noted that even if the Legislative Council were to be reduced by 19 members, it would still be able to continue to function with more than half of its members. Asked whether she agreed that the remaining pro-establishment lawmakers would become “rubber stamps”, she replied in the negative.
Mrs Lam mentioned that the Hong Kong government has been studying how to amend local legislation on oath-taking by public officials since the NPCSC made an interpretation of Article 104 of the Basic Law in 2016. She previewed the need for the Hong Kong government to rationalize relevant legislation in the future, including specifying the specific forms of oaths, the arrangements for commissioners of oaths, and the mechanism for handling breaches of oaths, and the authorities will draft a bill and submit it to the Legislative Council as soon as possible.
The Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Liaison Office) reiterated that “patriots rule Hong Kong”, and that the decision of the NPC Standing Committee provided the legal basis for the decision.
The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China issued separate statements, saying that the decision of the NPCSC provides a solid legal basis for regulating and handling the issue of Hong Kong’s membership in the Legislative Council.
The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office supported the Hong Kong Government’s declaration of the disqualification of Kwok Wing-kong and others in accordance with the law, describing the Hong Kong Government’s action as fully demonstrating the impartiality and majesty of the rule of law. The statement stressed that any act to seek political gains, defy the decision of the NPC Standing Committee, and challenge the authority of the Central Authorities and the Basic Law is bound to be “a claptrap to please the public and to no avail”.
The Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region reiterated that “patriotism rules Hong Kong” is a political rule that must be adhered to. The statement pointed out that the legislative spirit of this decision, Article 104 of the Basic Law, other relevant interpretations of the NPCSC and the National Security Law of the HKSAR is consistent with each other, aiming to enhance and improve “One Country, Two Systems”, to ensure that the governance structure of the HKSAR and politicians fulfill their constitutional duty of allegiance to the State and the Region, to set a baseline and rules for the system, and to provide a basis for the Hong Kong Government, in accordance with the decision and interpretation of the NPCSC, to And the local legislation of Article 104 of the Basic Law to provide further legal support.
Pan-democrats announce general resignation, 15 lawmakers to hand in resignation letters tomorrow
The pan-democrats held a press conference at dusk to announce their general resignation in accordance with yesterday’s preview of the plan, and 15 deputies will submit their resignation letters in the chamber tomorrow.
The convener of the pro-democracy camp and chairman of the Democratic Party, David Wu, said that what the NPC Standing Committee and the Hong Kong government’s DQ lawmakers did was extremely absurd. He pointed out that under the new criteria, the Chief Executive can exercise power as long as he feels that the behavior of the legislators does not meet the standard of “patriot”, which makes the Chief Executive hold all the power, undermines the design of the separation of powers in Hong Kong, and abandon the Basic Law and “one country, two systems”.
Wu criticized the central government for not fulfilling its promises in the Basic Law, and for taking advantage of the loopholes to illegally build the Basic Law through the power to interpret the Basic Law, undermining the core values of Hong Kong people. He stressed that the Legislative Council was supposed to play a check-and-balance role on the government, but today’s incident reflects the official announcement of the death of “one country, two systems”.
He pointed out that in the face of a totalitarian government, the pro-democracy camp cannot afford to split up, and will resign en masse.
According to reports, Chan Pui-yin, the only self-proclaimed centrist legislator in the Legislative Council, has already stated that he will stay in the legislature. The chairman of Citizens’ Alliance for Universal Suffrage, Chung Tai Cheng, who is not considered to be a member of the pro-establishment camp, said he would explain his decision later.
Eligible Hong Kong residents living in Guangdong and Macao are exempted from quarantine for 14 days after returning to Hong Kong from this month 23rd.
The Hong Kong government has announced the launch of the “Easy Return Scheme”, under which eligible Hong Kong residents in China’s Guangdong Province and Macao can be exempted from quarantine for 14 days when they return to Hong Kong from land boundary control points with an initial quota of 5,000 per day starting from the 23rd of this month. Hong Kong people have to apply for the quota online and obtain a negative test certificate for the 2019 coronavirus within three days before returning to Hong Kong.
Applicants must not have travelled outside Guangdong Province, Macau or Hong Kong in the 14 days before returning to Hong Kong, Director (Special Duties) of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau Yuen Man-chung announced. Starting from next Wednesday (18 March), applicants can apply for a return quota for the following week at the Easy Return Scheme website every Wednesday to Friday.
The applicant must undergo a viral test at an accredited institution within three days before returning to Hong Kong, and transmit a valid negative test certificate to the Electronic Health Declaration System of the Department of Health of Hong Kong via the Green QR Code or the OCON code. If the applicant does not have a smart phone, he/she can present the paper test report at the border crossing. A green channel will be set up at the control point to allow the relevant persons to enter Hong Kong.
Applicants are required to enter Hong Kong on the scheduled date at the designated ports, which have a daily quota of 3,000 for Shenzhen Bay Port and 2,000 for Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
Applicants returning to Hong Kong and needing to visit Guangdong Province or Macau again will still be subject to 14 days of quarantine there, unless they have been granted exemptions.
Hong Kong and Singapore reach ‘tourism bubble’ agreement, plan to start on 22nd of this month
The Hong Kong government has announced a “travel bubble” agreement with Singapore, which is scheduled to begin on the 22nd of this month and will require travellers to undergo a mutually recognized virus test between the two places before departure.
According to the announcement by Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau, there will be one dedicated flight per day between the two places for the first 15 days of the scheme, with a quota of 200 passengers for each flight, which will be increased to two flights per day after 15 days. Passengers who are not allowed to travel outside Hong Kong or Singapore for 14 days prior to departure will be required to present a 72-hour negative test certificate of the “2019 Coronavirus” mutually recognized by the two places before boarding the flight, with a minimum test fee of HK$240.
Hong Kong travellers entering Singapore are required to apply for an Air Pass within 7 to 30 days prior to arrival, and submit their Singapore Electronic Arrival Card within 3 days prior to arrival. If a passenger stays in Singapore for more than 72 hours after arrival, he/she will be required to undergo a virus test at the airport for a fee of S$200 to S$300 (approximately HK$1,152 to HK$1,728), and again at the airport for a fee of HK$499 upon returning to Hong Kong.
For those arriving from Singapore, apart from showing the negative test certificate before departure, they will have to undergo the test at the airport upon arrival, and wait for the results for about four hours.
Participating passengers will proceed to the testing area at the airport via an exclusive boarding bridge and passageway upon arrival in Hong Kong. For other general passengers, they can continue to receive free testing at the airport. Yew explained that the designated testing is for the “Travel Bubble” programme, so there is an additional charge.
Yew pointed out that Hong Kong and Singapore are frequent travellers to and from the two cities, and it is therefore important to resume travel between the two places. He believes that the scheme can bring benefits to the airline, tourism, hotel, retail and restaurant sectors, and can gradually revive the economy.
Khoo said that if the seven-day average number of unsubstantiated cases between the two places is more than five per day, the Tourism Bubble programme will be suspended for two weeks and will not resume until it is less than five per day.
Bouncing Words files court papers seeking a stay of an executive order blocking TikTok’s US operations.
Beijing, China-based ByteTek announced that it has taken legal action to seek an extension of Washington’s executive order against TikTok’s US business.
In August, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring TikTok to sell its US business within 90 days or cease operations in the country, with the deadline set to expire on Thursday (12 March).
The company has filed a document with a local appeals court seeking to postpone the effective date of the executive order in question, WordPress confirmed. The filing said that Washington’s decision to force TikTok to sell its US business was reckless and capricious, and that the company had requested legal action but was denied by Washington.
A Pennsylvania postal clerk reportedly withdrew charges of mail-in ballot tampering after filing them.
Richard Hopkins, a postal clerk in Pennsylvania, once accused the local postmaster of ordering the tampering of the postmark of a mail-in ballot, but later pleaded guilty to fabrication of the accusation, the Washington Post reported. However, after the report was published, Hopkins posted a video online criticizing the Washington Post for the false report, stressing that his allegations were true and that he had not retracted them.
The Post quoted the House Oversight Committee as saying that Mr. Tsuru had assisted authorities in their investigation of the allegations by signing an affidavit that he had overheard the Erie, Pennsylvania, postmaster’s order that employees change the postmarks of mail-in ballots mailed to post offices after Nov. 3 so that they could be counted as valid ballots.
The allegations, made publicly last week by Mr. Hogan, have been cited by some Republicans in recent days as attacks on election fraud, and the Justice Department has ordered federal prosecutors to open an investigation.
However, the Washington Post reported that Crane later admitted to investigators from the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General that he had fabricated the allegations and signed an affidavit to retract them. The House Oversight Committee also posted a related message on Twitter. However, Crane later posted a video online stressing that the allegations were true, clarifying that he had not retracted them and criticizing the Washington Post for false reporting.
Trump’s campaign spokesman said there was no understanding of the pressure Crane has been under since the allegations were made public.
Recent Comments