Running man: Occupy leader Joshua Wong launches court fight for right to run for Hong Kong legislature below age 21
Scholarism chief and Occupy activist asks court to strike down rule that means only people over 21 can seek office, says he may run if he wins
Student activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung is launching a court battle to fight a minimum age of 21 for people seeking a seat in the city's legislature - and says he could run for a Legislative Council seat next year if he wins.
Wong, who turns 19 today, yesterday filed a judicial review application to the High Court challenging the rule, arguing that most other jurisdictions - including the mainland - allow people to seek office at 18.
"It is ironic that people can stand for election to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress [at] just 18 years old," he said outside court. "It is really unreasonable that the age limit for contesting the Hong Kong Legislative Council election is 21 years old."
Wong, convenor of student group Scholarism, has built an international reputation since leading a successful fight against national education in schools, and was a key figure in last year's Occupy protests. He said he would consider running in next year's poll if he won.
"After the 'umbrella movement', we hope to encourage more young people to bring their ideas, such as self-determination, and future problems in Hong Kong from the streets to Legco," he said.