Hong Kong delegate to China’s legislature vows to push local officials to enact national security legislation within five years
Pledge comes as nominations are gathered before body’s election next month
Two Hong Kong representatives in China’s legislature have vowed to push the local government to enact national security legislation within the next five years, as nominations opened on Friday for a local poll to elect 36 deputies to the Beijing body next month.
A panel of 1,989 Hong Kong electors, including about 300 pan-democrats, are to choose the 36 deputies by block vote on December 19. Nominations close on December 4.
About a third of the current Hong Kong deputies are unlikely to seek re-election in the five-yearly contest. Those expected to sit out include the delegation’s convenor, Maria Tam Wai-chu, who has been a deputy since 1998.
However, Cheng, who has served on the legislature for almost three decades, said he planned to join Ng in signing up on Tuesday for the election.