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Hong Kong’s leader rejects foreign criticism over barring of democracy activist Agnes Chow from legislative by-election
Chief Executive Carrie Lam says there are ‘absolutely no grounds’ for claims Beijing influenced returning officer’s decision
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Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday rejected foreign interference in the city’s internal affairs and denied coming under any pressure from Beijing to bar Agnes Chow Ting from running in the March legislative by-election as the European Union criticised the disqualification of the pro-democracy activist.
“There are absolutely no grounds for that sort of accusation or allegation of pressure,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said after the EU issued a statement warning that banning Chow from the by-election “risks diminishing Hong Kong’s international reputation as a free and open society”.
Chow, 21, was seeking to contest the Hong Kong Island constituency seat vacated by Nathan Law Kwun-chung when he was disqualified last year for an improperly taken oath of office. But her candidacy was ruled invalid by a returning officer on the grounds that her party, Demosisto, had called for the city’s “self-determination”, rendering her ineligible under rules to curb independence advocacy.
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The government announced and supported the decision.
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The EU’s European External Action Service, which handles the union’s foreign relations, said: “The protection of civil and political rights in Hong Kong is an essential part of the implementation of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle”.
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