‘I’m a localist – ban me!’ Hong Kong election candidate throws down challenge
Legco hopeful taunts returning officers amid rumours of further disqualifications, while lawyers cast doubts on earlier decisions to bar radicals
Legal experts also cast doubts on whether the returning officers who previously had contentiously invalidated the candidacy of six pro-independence candidates had the right to do so when their nominations had already been verified and gazetted.
The development came after a pro-establishment online portal, HKG Pao, quoted “internal sources” as saying that more aspirants who advocated the idea of the city breaking away from mainland China would be ousted from the race.
The report claimed the returning officers were now in touch with a number of candidates who had persistently talked about independence at election forums.
The Beijing-friendly media outlet – founded and led by Robert Chow Yung, who led the campaign against the Occupy movement – revealed in July, citing sources, that the government would disqualify the separatist candidates. The report proved to be true just days later.
At a New Territories East election forum organised by RTHK on Monday, localist Kacee Wong Sum-yu openly backed the contentious notion in a bid to challenge the returning officers.