Self-determination views could lead to by-election ban, government adviser says amid debate over Agnes Chow’s Legco bid
Exco member Ronny Tong says that while such calls are not the same as advocating independence, they could still give returning officer a reason to invalidate candidate
Calls for self-determination, while not the same as pro-independence views, could still give a returning officer a reason to invalidate a candidate, a legal expert and government adviser said on Wednesday, amid a debate over whether pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow Ting will be allowed to run in the coming Legislative Council by-elections.
Speaking on a radio programme on Wednesday, barrister and former lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah said he personally did not believe calling for self-determination was the same as advocating independence, which would be a breach of the city’s mini-constitution, but this would ultimately be up to the returning officer to judge.
“I don’t think [self-determination violates the Basic Law]. If they clearly state that they are safeguarding Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, especially within the scope of what can be self-determined, then this complies with national policy and the ‘one country, two systems principle’,” said Tong, who is also an executive councillor, referring to the model under which Beijing governs Hong Kong.
“But many times, it’s about how they express it. When emotions run high, and we talk about things close to the topic of independence, we could trigger a blowback from Beijing. We can get emotional, but Beijing can get emotional too.”