Hong Kong leader must clarify process for unseating opposition politicians, head of Democratic Party says
- Nearly 40 per cent of the opposition district councillors who swept to power in 2019 have quit as the government prepares to carry out its loyalty review
- Democratic Party chairman Lo Kin-hei urges city leader to publicly state whether unseated politicians will have to pay back salaries, as earlier reported
Hong Kong’s largest opposition party has urged the city’s leader to clarify how authorities will proceed with disqualifying district councillors after more than 100 politicians from the camp quit amid reports unseated ones would have to return HK$1 million (US$128,700) in pay.
Lo argued that because the law extending oath-taking requirements covering senior officials to district councillors only took effect on May 21, no legal grounds existed to require unseated politicians to return their salaries and other funds received since taking office in January last year.
“This does not only involve the electoral right and choice of 3 million voters – dozens of district councillors from my party and Hong Kong’s political stability are at stake,” Lo wrote.
“I expect the government to clarify whether the sources’ remarks would be the official policy, to prevent a certain number of councillors from resigning because they wrongly believed in these so-called sources.”
Lo, who also heads the Southern District Council, said if the information was true, senior officials must explain it publicly and allow residents to discuss the matter.