A district councilor (left) swears his allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its Basic Law during a ceremony at North Point Community Hall on Sept 24, 2021. The oath-taking was administered by Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai (right). (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVT)
HONG KONG – The second batch of district councilors in Hong Kong swore to uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the special administrative region on Friday.
Members from five district councils in Kowloon – Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong – took their oath of allegiance at a ceremony held at North Point Community Hall
Members from five district councils in Kowloon – Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong – attended the ceremony held at North Point Community Hall.
The oath-taking was administered by the Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai.
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According to a statement issued by the Hong Kong government, the oath administrator determined that the oaths taken by 45 district councilors were valid.
One of the members of the Sham Shui Po District Council, Leos Lee Man-ho, was regarded as having declined or neglected to take the oath under section 20A of the Oaths and Declarations Ordinance after failing to show up.
As a result, Lee was required to vacate his office with immediate effect pursuant to section 21 of the ordinance.
Meanwhile, 10 district councilors were asked to provide additional information as the oath administrator had doubts on the validity of the oaths taken by them.
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Oath-taking for the current 221 district councilors is split into four batches. The batch of district councilors of Hong Kong Island took their oaths on Sept 10.
Hong Kong’s legislature passed a bill in May requiring district councilors to take the oath. The city’s National Security Law also requires those holding public office to take the oath to uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the city.
There were 479 district councilors originally, 260 of whom quit for various reasons. Another eight were disqualified for various reasons, including some that were held in custody and some that had left the city.