2018 Hong Kong Island by-election: Difference between revisions
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[[Judy Chan Ka-pui]], member of the [[New People's Party (Hong Kong)|New People's Party]] and [[Southern District Council]] declared her candidacy on 15 January 2018.<ref>{{cite news|title=補選前瞻：港島形勢未明 建築界大局已定|date=2017-09-13|work=on.cc|url=http://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20170913/bkn-20170913142034460-0913_00822_001.html}}</ref> She was supported by the pro-Beijing [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] (DAB) and the [[Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions]] (FTU).<ref>{{cite news|title=【港島補選】陳家珮參選 葉劉讚贏過泛民明星：祝「加倍」努力|url=https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/realtime/article/20180115/57709385?_ga=2.134041614.1878297732.1515960495-2088192163.1514947704|newspaper=蘋果日報|date=2018-01-15}}</ref> |
[[Judy Chan Ka-pui]], member of the [[New People's Party (Hong Kong)|New People's Party]] and [[Southern District Council]] declared her candidacy on 15 January 2018.<ref>{{cite news|title=補選前瞻：港島形勢未明 建築界大局已定|date=2017-09-13|work=on.cc|url=http://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20170913/bkn-20170913142034460-0913_00822_001.html}}</ref> She was supported by the pro-Beijing [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] (DAB) and the [[Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions]] (FTU).<ref>{{cite news|title=【港島補選】陳家珮參選 葉劉讚贏過泛民明星：祝「加倍」努力|url=https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/realtime/article/20180115/57709385?_ga=2.134041614.1878297732.1515960495-2088192163.1514947704|newspaper=蘋果日報|date=2018-01-15}}</ref> |
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[[File:Agnes Chow in 2017.jpg|125px|thumb|right|[[Demosistō]]'s [[Agnes Chow]]'s candidacy was controversially disqualified by the returning officer.]] |
[[File:Agnes Chow in 2017.jpg|125px|thumb|right|[[Demosistō]]'s [[Agnes Chow]]'s candidacy was controversially disqualified by the returning officer.]] |
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[[Au Nok-hin]], member of the Southern District Council, former member of the [[Democratic Party (Hong Kong)|Democratic Party]] and former convenor of the [[Civil Human Rights Front]] was the representative for the pro-democracy camp after the initial candidate [[Agnes Chow Ting]] of [[Demosistō]] was disqualified. Chow, Demosistō standing committee member, emerged as the party's candidate after Nathan Law's girlfriend Tiffany Yuen reportedly declined to run. Chow fulfilled the age limit of 21 after her 21st birthday on 3 December 2017.<ref>{{cite news|title=周庭出戰港島補選！ 「學民女神」有望成最年輕立法會議員|date=2017-11-10|url=https://www.hk01.com/%E6%B8%AF%E8%81%9E/131500/%E5%91%A8%E5%BA%AD%E5%87%BA%E6%88%B0%E6%B8%AF%E5%B3%B6%E8%A3%9C%E9%81%B8-%E5%AD%B8%E6%B0%91%E5%A5%B3%E7%A5%9E-%E6%9C%89%E6%9C%9B%E6%88%90%E6%9C%80%E5%B9%B4%E8%BC%95%E7%AB%8B%E6%B3%95%E6%9C%83%E8%AD%B0%E5%93%A1|work=HK01}}</ref> She officially announced her candidacy on 14 January 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/daily/article/20180114/20274032|title=周庭宣佈選港島 民主派眾星站台|date=2018-01-14|newspaper=蘋果日報}}</ref> On 27 January, her candidacy was invalidated by the returning officer as she claimed that "the candidate cannot possibly comply with the requirements of the relevant electoral laws, since advocating or promoting 'self-determination' is contrary to the content of the declaration that the law requires a candidate to make to uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the [Hong Kong Special Administrative Region]." The [[European Union]] issued a statement warning that banning Chow from the by-election "risks diminishing Hong Kong’s international reputation as a free and open society".<ref>{{cite news|title=Hong Kong’s leader rejects foreign criticism over barring of democracy activist Agnes Chow from legislative by-election|date=30 January 2018|newspaper=South China Morning Post|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2131168/european-union-leads-chorus-disapproval-over-decision-bar}}</ref> The pro-democracy camp had its backup candidate Au Nok-hin running on behalf of Chow.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow banned from Legco by-election|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2130714/hong-kong-activist-agnes-chow-banned-legco-election|date=27 January 2018|newspaper=South China Morning Post}}</ref> A candidate for the 2016 Legislative Council election in [[Wholesale and Retail (constituency)|Wholesale and Retail constituency]], Au had earlier quit the Democratic Party "to pursue his own political beliefs".<ref>{{cite news|title=Who is Au Nok-hin? Hong Kong pan-democrats’ next Legco by-election candidate, that’s who|date=28 January 2018|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2130941/who-au-nok-hin-hong-kong-pan-democrats-next-legco-election|newspaper=South China Morning Post}}</ref> |
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[[Edward Yum Liang-hsien]], former [[League of Social Democrats]] and [[People Power (Hong Kong)|People Power]] member, also declared his candidacy in the election.<ref>{{cite news|title=【立會補選】任亮憲突參戰港島！ 周庭腹背受敵|url=https://www.hk01.com/%E6%B8%AF%E8%81%9E/145226/-%E7%AB%8B%E6%9C%83%E8%A3%9C%E9%81%B8-%E4%BB%BB%E4%BA%AE%E6%86%B2%E7%AA%81%E5%8F%83%E6%88%B0%E6%B8%AF%E5%B3%B6-%E5%91%A8%E5%BA%AD%E8%85%B9%E8%83%8C%E5%8F%97%E6%95%B5|date=2017-12-29|work=HK01}}</ref> |
[[Edward Yum Liang-hsien]], former [[League of Social Democrats]] and [[People Power (Hong Kong)|People Power]] member, also declared his candidacy in the election.<ref>{{cite news|title=【立會補選】任亮憲突參戰港島！ 周庭腹背受敵|url=https://www.hk01.com/%E6%B8%AF%E8%81%9E/145226/-%E7%AB%8B%E6%9C%83%E8%A3%9C%E9%81%B8-%E4%BB%BB%E4%BA%AE%E6%86%B2%E7%AA%81%E5%8F%83%E6%88%B0%E6%B8%AF%E5%B3%B6-%E5%91%A8%E5%BA%AD%E8%85%B9%E8%83%8C%E5%8F%97%E6%95%B5|date=2017-12-29|work=HK01}}</ref> |
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The 2018 Hong Kong Island by-election is scheduled on 11 March 2018 after the incumbent Demosisto Legislative Councillor Nathan Law of Hong Kong Island disqualified from the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) over the oath-taking controversy resulted in the disqualifications of the six pro-democracy legislators. It will be held alongside the Kowloon West, New Territories East and Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape by-elections.[1]
Background
In the 2016 Legislative Council election, the Hong Kong Island returned six members to the Legislative Council (LegCo). 23-year-old Nathan Law of the Demosisto and student leader in the 2014 Hong Kong protests won a seat by receiving 50,818 votes, 13.5 per cent of the total vote share and second-highest votes in the constituency, becoming the youngest Legislative Councillor in history.
On 12 October 2016 the inaugural meeting of the LegCo, Law used the oath-taking ceremony as a platform to protest as many other pro-democrat legislators had done in the previous sessions. Law raised his tone while swearing allegiance to China, sounding like he was asking a question.[2] Although Law's oath was validated by the Legislative Council Clerk, the oaths taken by Youngspiration legislators Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching were ruled invalid and sparked a backlash among the public. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying took an unprecedented move by launching a judicial review seeking the disqualification of the duo.
On 7 November, the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) controversially interpreted Article 104 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong to "clarify" the requirements that the legislators need to swear allegiance to Hong Kong as part of China when they take office, stating that "who intentionally reads out words which do not accord with the wording of the oath prescribed by law, or takes the oath in a manner which is not sincere or not solemn" should be barred from taking their public office and cannot retake the oath. As a consequence, the High Court disqualified Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching on 15 November.[3]
On 2 December, Leung Chun-ying and the Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen lodged another judicial review against Law, Lau Siu-lai, Leung Kwok-hung and Yiu Chung-yim over their manners during the oath-taking ceremony.[4] As a result, the High Court ruled the four pro-democracy legislators were to lose their seats on 14 July 2017.[5] On 14 September, the government announced all the by-elections to be held on 11 March, except the seats vacated by Lau Siu-lai and Leung Kwok-hung as they are seeking for appeal.
As Nathan Law was imprisoned for storming the government headquarters which triggered the 2014 Occupy protests for more than three months from 17 August 2017, he is ineligible for running in the by-election.[6]
Candidates
Judy Chan Ka-pui, member of the New People's Party and Southern District Council declared her candidacy on 15 January 2018.[7] She was supported by the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) and the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU).[8]
Au Nok-hin, member of the Southern District Council, former member of the Democratic Party and former convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front was the representative for the pro-democracy camp after the initial candidate Agnes Chow Ting of Demosistō was disqualified. Chow, Demosistō standing committee member, emerged as the party's candidate after Nathan Law's girlfriend Tiffany Yuen reportedly declined to run. Chow fulfilled the age limit of 21 after her 21st birthday on 3 December 2017.[9] She officially announced her candidacy on 14 January 2018.[10] On 27 January, her candidacy was invalidated by the returning officer as she claimed that "the candidate cannot possibly comply with the requirements of the relevant electoral laws, since advocating or promoting 'self-determination' is contrary to the content of the declaration that the law requires a candidate to make to uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the [Hong Kong Special Administrative Region]." The European Union issued a statement warning that banning Chow from the by-election "risks diminishing Hong Kong’s international reputation as a free and open society".[11] The pro-democracy camp had its backup candidate Au Nok-hin running on behalf of Chow.[12] A candidate for the 2016 Legislative Council election in Wholesale and Retail constituency, Au had earlier quit the Democratic Party "to pursue his own political beliefs".[13]
Edward Yum Liang-hsien, former League of Social Democrats and People Power member, also declared his candidacy in the election.[14]
Ng Dick-hay, spokesman of the pro-Beijing activist group Defend Hong Kong Campaign also ran in the election as a nonpartisan.[15]
Johnny Ma Kam-chuen, a retired dentist, was also disqualified as a candidate in the election due to his invalid nominations.[16]
Opinion polling
| Date(s) conducted |
Polling organisation/client | Sample size | class="unsortable" style="background:Template:Demosisto/meta/color; width:60px;"| Chow | class="unsortable" style="background:Template:NPPHK/meta/color; width:60px;"| Chan | Others | None of above/ Undecided |
Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec–6 Jan | HKRA | 2,503 | 27% | 20% | 8% | 45% | style="background:Template:Demosisto/meta/color; color:white;"| 7% over Chan |
See also
References
- ^ "By-election to fill four seats vacated by disqualified Hong Kong lawmakers set for March 11". South China Morning Post. 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Senior Beijing official in Hong Kong expresses 'condemnation' over localist lawmakers' oaths". South China Morning Post. 14 October 2016.
- ^ "Hong Kong court rules localist lawmakers must vacate Legco seats". South China Morning Post. 15 November 2016.
- ^ "Hong Kong gov't lodges legal challenges to eject four more pro-democracy lawmakers from legislature". Hong Kong Free Press. 2 December 2016.
- ^ "Hong Kong lawmaker disqualification ruling 'opens huge floodgate', lawyers say". South China Morning Post. 15 July 2017.
- ^ Wu, Venus (16 August 2017). "Young Hong Kong democrats face jail amid fears of broader crackdown". Reuters.
- ^ "補選前瞻：港島形勢未明 建築界大局已定". on.cc. 13 September 2017.
- ^ "【港島補選】陳家珮參選 葉劉讚贏過泛民明星：祝「加倍」努力". 蘋果日報. 15 January 2018.
- ^ "周庭出戰港島補選！ 「學民女神」有望成最年輕立法會議員". HK01. 10 November 2017.
- ^ "周庭宣佈選港島 民主派眾星站台". 蘋果日報. 14 January 2018.
- ^ "Hong Kong's leader rejects foreign criticism over barring of democracy activist Agnes Chow from legislative by-election". South China Morning Post. 30 January 2018.
- ^ "Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow banned from Legco by-election". South China Morning Post. 27 January 2018.
- ^ "Who is Au Nok-hin? Hong Kong pan-democrats' next Legco by-election candidate, that's who". South China Morning Post. 28 January 2018.
- ^ "【立會補選】任亮憲突參戰港島！ 周庭腹背受敵". HK01. 29 December 2017.
- ^ "「保衛香港運動」高院外聲援司法覆核". 大公報. 15 December 2016.
- ^ "【立會補選】劉穎匡及馬金泉被DQ 區諾軒獲確認參選資格". 頭條日報. 31 January 2018.
