Legco set to announce vacant seats left by disqualified localists in preparation for by-election
Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen told the media that the clerk will start the procedure to publish the vacancies left by Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching
Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen told the media on Thursday morning that the Legco clerk will start the procedure to publish the vacancies left by Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching in the Government Gazette.
“The court originally reserved time [on Thursday] to hear their application for leave to appeal, but they haven’t made an application,” Leung said. “So we will start the process now.”
Watch: Localist lawmakers lose their appeal
On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal dismissed the pairs’ appeal against their disqualification, after they swore allegiance to a “Hong Kong nation” when taking their oaths last month. The three judges unanimously confirmed the applicability of Beijing’s “true and proper” interpretation of the Basic Law in the case.
The Legco clerk must publish a notice in the Gazette to declare the existence of a vacated Legco seat within 21 days “after becoming aware of the vacancy”. In this case the notice must be issued within 21 days of the lower court’s ruling – meaning the deadline will be next Tuesday.