Legco set to announce vacant seats left by disqualified localists in preparation for by-election

Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen told the media that the clerk will start the procedure to publish the vacancies left by Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching

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Legco President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen said the vacancies will be announced in the coming days. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 12:21pm, 1 Dec 2016Updated: 1:06pm, 1 Dec 2016

The Legislative Council will declare two vacant seats as soon as Monday to pave the way for a by-election after two pro-independence lawmakers lost their court appeal against disqualification over the oath-taking saga.

Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen told the media on Thursday morning that the Legco clerk will start the procedure to publish the vacancies left by Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching in the Government Gazette.

“The court originally reserved time [on Thursday] to hear their application for leave to appeal, but they haven’t made an application,” Leung said. “So we will start the process now.”

Watch: Localist lawmakers lose their appeal

On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal dismissed the pairs’ appeal against their disqualification, after they swore allegiance to a “Hong Kong nation” when taking their oaths last month. The three judges unanimously confirmed the applicability of Beijing’s “true and proper” interpretation of the Basic Law in the case.