Hong Kong election disqualification for those who lobby against one-party rule a ‘betrayal’ to city values

Top legal experts say legislators should not face being disqualified for expressing pro-democracy views, rebuffing earlier comments from a local member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee

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Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun was one of three legal experts who said lawmakers should not face the risk of being disqualified for calling for democracy in China. Photo: Edward Wong

Published: 8:53pm, 19 Mar 2018Updated: 12:08am, 20 Mar 2018

Hong Kong legal experts said on Monday that lawmakers should not run the risk of disqualification for expressing pro-democracy views, rejecting a warning by the city’s sole member of China’s top legislative body.

Senior barristers Ronny Tong Ka-wah, Philip Dykes and Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun spoke just days after Tam Yiu-chung, a member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, warned in an exclusive interview with the Post that Hongkongers who chant slogans urging an end to “one-party dictatorship” run the risk of being barred from future elections.

Tam’s remark came after the National People’s Congress passed constitutional amendments that further underlined the undisputed authority of the Communist Party.

Tam Yiu-chung is Hong Kong’s only member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. Photo: Sam Tsang

Chan, former University of Hong Kong law dean, called the remark a clear “betrayal” of the city’s core values, as Tam was “close to saying that … the party and the central government are beyond criticism”.

Pro-democracy activists and legislators also said the warning and the amendments would not stop them from calling for political reforms on the mainland.

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