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Hong Kong elections: candidate disqualification faces international criticism
- ‘The Hong Kong authorities must uphold their commitments to the people of Hong Kong,’ says British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab
- Lawmakers from more than a dozen countries issued a statement on what they called ‘the obstruction of the democratic process’
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The Hong Kong government’s decision to disqualify 12 opposition pro-democracy figures from running in elections has been internationally condemned.
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The strongest remark came from British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who said: “I condemn the decision to disqualify opposition candidates from standing in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council elections.”
He said it was “clear they have been disqualified because of their political views”, adding that “the Hong Kong authorities must uphold their commitments to the people of Hong Kong”.
The government decision, Raab said, undermined the integrity of “one country, two systems” principle – which stipulates China’s relationship with Hong Kong – and the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and Hong Kong’s Basic Law.
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12 Legislative Council hopefuls including Joshua Wong banned from running
12 Legislative Council hopefuls including Joshua Wong banned from running
In addition, lawmakers from more than a dozen countries issued a statement on what they called “the obstruction of the democratic process”.
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