Candidate Eligibility Review Committee chairman Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee Ka-chiu (centre) joins committee members Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai (third left), Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai (second left), Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung (first left), Elsie Leung Oi-sie (third right), Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai (second right), and Professor Lawrence Lau Juen-yee (first right) for the committee's first meeting on July 14, 2021 (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee Ka-chiu vowed to weed out fake patriots standing for the subsector elections of the Election Committee.
Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee Ka-chiu said every candidate for the Election Committee has been examined, discussed by the panel rigorously to prevent those who pretend to support the Basic Law and be loyal to the Hong Kong SAR from sneaking through
Lee, the chairman of the seven-member newly-established Candidate Eligibility Review Committee, made the remarks in an interview with local Chinese newspaper Ta Kung Pao ahead of the candidates list set to be announced on Thursday.
Lee said every candidate for the Election Committee has been examined, discussed by the panel rigorously to prevent those who pretend to support the Basic Law and be loyal to the Hong Kong SAR from sneaking through.
"The candidates can oppose the government, but cannot undermine or damage Hong Kong's regime. That means that subverting or overthrowing the government is not allowed," Lee added.
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Lee said the committee will strive to make the election fairer, more just and rigorous.
The committee is like a safety valve to ensure the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" could be concretized and institutionalized, he stressed.
After the examination of the candidates for the Election Committee, the Review Committee would also engage with the Legislative Council Election, slated on Dec 19.
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Lee said members of the opposition camp used to disguise themselves and forge a clean background to sneak through the election of the Legislative Council. However, under the new review committee, he is confident that such things would no longer happen.