Election laws in Hong Kong to be reviewed after court upholds ban on localist candidates
Constitutional affairs chief Patrick Nip welcomed High Court’s judgment and said government will look to see if adjustments are needed after recent developments
A review of Hong Kong’s electoral laws will be conducted in the wake of a recent court ruling which affirmed officials’ power to ban candidates from elections because of their political views, the city’s constitutional affairs chief said on Sunday.
“The National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) issued an interpretation of Article 104 of the Basic Law [Hong Kong’s mini-constitution] earlier while the court handed down a ruling on election-related matters,” Nip said in a pre-recorded interview with Commercial Radio aired on Sunday. “We will review the relevant laws based on the developments … to see if any areas require adjustment.”
The landmark ruling against Chan had determined that returning officers could bar candidates because of their political views – but only when presented with “cogent, clear and compelling” evidence that such hopefuls would not uphold the Basic Law.