Legco Extends Oath Demand To District Councillors

"); jQuery("#212 h3").html("

Related News Programmes

"); });

2021-05-12 HKT 17:58

Share this story

facebook

  • More than 20 district councillors have resigned in recent months, some because they are not willing to take the oath. Image: Shutterstock

    More than 20 district councillors have resigned in recent months, some because they are not willing to take the oath. Image: Shutterstock

The Legislative Council has approved a bill adding district councillors to a growing list of Hongkongers obliged to swear allegiance to the government.

Any councillors that refuse to make the pledge in the coming weeks, as well as those found to be "unpatriotic", will be stripped of their seats.

Executive councillors and lawmakers were already required to take an oath of allegiance, and since the mass anti-government protests of 2019, civil servants have also been ordered to pledge their loyalty if they want to keep their jobs.

The government's bill extends this requirement to members of district councils, which have have been overwhelmingly pro-democracy since the elections of November 2019.

There bill also introduces a mechanism to disqualify any undesirables from office, even if they have pledged their allegiance.

Multiple ways somebody could breach their oath are set out, including by refusing to recognise China's sovereignty over Hong Kong, supporting independence, seeking foreign interference, "insulting" a flag, as well as "endangering national security".

The secretary for justice will be able to initiate legal proceedings. Those accused will be immediately suspended from office until the courts make a decision.

Upon conviction, people will be formally ousted from their positions and barred from standing for election for five years.

More than 20 district councillors have resigned in recent months for a variety of reasons, some because they're behind bars accused of breaching the national security law, and others because they are not willing to take the oath.

RECENT NEWS

StartmeupHK Festival And Hong Kong Fintech Week 2025 Merge For 10th Anniversary Milestone

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced on 10 March 2025 that both of its flagship events, Hong Kong Fintech Week 2025 an... Read more

Ant AI-Powered Health Insurance Processes 7.25M Claims In 2024, 55%YoY Increase

In 2024, Ant Insurance, the online insurance brokerage platform of Ant Group, processed 7.25 million health claims, mar... Read more

Ping An Talent Uses AI For Job Matching, But Can Technology Make Recruitment Fairer?

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. has launched its 2025 Spring Campus Recruitment, offering over 2,000 p... Read more

HKEX Partners With CMU OmniClear To Boost Post-Trade Securities Infrastructure

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) announced on 4 March 2025 that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding ... Read more

PAObank Secures Insurance Agency Licence, Partners With Ping An And FWD Hong Kong

PAO Bank Limited (PAObank) has received its Insurance Agency Licence from the Insurance Authority and signed strategic ... Read more

IFAST Launches Self-Service Accounts For Hong Kong Family Offices

Fintech solutions provider iFAST HK launches self-service accounts in Hong Kong, catering to the growing demand for ind... Read more