National security law: Hong Kong district councillors will be required to pledge allegiance to city, top official reveals

Constitutional affairs chief Erick Tsang says the government plans to amend the oaths ordinance as early as next month

Most of the city’s 452 district council seats are held by the opposition camp after an unprecedented landslide election win in 2019

Reading Time:3 minutes

Senior civil servants take their oath at a recent ceremony. Source: Handout

Published: 7:34pm, 21 Jan 2021Updated: 11:23pm, 21 Jan 2021

More than 400 Hong Kong district councillors will be required to pledge allegiance to the city, as the government plans to amend the oaths ordinance as early as next month, a top official has confirmed.

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai revealed the move in the Legislative Council on Thursday as lawmakers continued a debate on the city leader’s policy address in November last year.

Under Article 6 of the national security law, which Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in June last year, any resident “who stands for election or assumes public office” must swear to uphold the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, and pledge allegiance to the city.

As it did not define “public office”, the government has been studying ways to align the city’s legislation with the security law.

Tsang said the government’s amendment bill would clarify issues such as how the oath should be taken, who would supervise the procedure, and the consequences of public officers breaking their vows.