Hong Kong veteran politician Wong Yuk-man ‘quitting politics’
Wong also confirms he will not run in city’s upcoming Legislative Council by-elections and compete against young localists
A veteran Hong Kong politician has announced his intention to quit politics, adding that he will not run in the city’s upcoming Legislative Council by-elections.
Wong Yuk-man, who lost his seat in Kowloon West to a young localist in last September’s Legco election, posted an 8,565-word article on his Facebook page on Friday, detailing his decision.
“I will not take part in political affairs [anymore] and will quit the political world,” he said. “I will not participate or organise any political groups, and will not join any elections.”
The upcoming by-elections were triggered after a court disqualified two localist lawmakers-elect over their anti-China antics last year. In October, Youngspiration duo Yau Wai-ching, who beat Wong by 424 votes to win the Kowloon West seat, and Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang pledged allegiance to a “Hong Kong nation” and used a derogatory term to insult China during a swearing-in ceremony.
It prompted China’s top legislative body to interpret the Basic Law – the city’s mini-constitution – and make “insincere oaths” punishable by instant disqualification.