Bad behavior disqualifies nominees in Hong Kong

The opposition activists barred from running in the September Legislative Council election have only themselves to blame, given their unscrupulous acts to destabilize Hong Kong, legal experts and political analysts said.

Calling the returning officers' move to invalidate the nominations of 12 aspiring candidates standing for LegCo election "fair and legitimate", they said the decision was made after comprehensively taking into account the candidates' past words and deeds.

The returning officers ruled that the candidates could not be sincere in their promise to uphold the Basic Law — the fundamental constitutional duty of lawmakers — in view of their past behavior.

Lawrence Ma Yan-kwok, chairman of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, told China Daily that the returning officers made the proper decision, as the candidates' previous conduct makes it hard to believe that they would faithfully uphold the Basic Law.

Such acts include advocating Hong Kong independence, vowing to indiscriminately veto government proposals after being elected, and refusing to recognize the nation's exercise of sovereignty over the Hong Kong SAR.

Ma stressed that the Basic Law is the pivotal document that lays out the political structure of the HKSAR. When a nominee does not fit the legal criteria laid out in this document, they are not qualified for office, he said.

Law professor Willy Fu Kin-chi, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, said the disqualifications were fair, as they were supported by solid facts and evidence.

Although some candidates claimed they have given up radical political advocacy, such claims in fact have little credibility, considering the candidates' consistent adherence to their radical positions.