Refusing invalid candidate upholds law in Hong Kong

THE NOMINATION OF JOSHUA WONG, a diehard secessionist from Hong Kong, as a candidate for the South Horizons West Constituency in the general election of the Southern District Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Nov 24, was deemed invalid by the constituency's election regulators on Tuesday in accordance with the Electoral Procedure Regulation of the SAR. China Daily writer Li Yang comments:

Only those sharing similar secessionist stance with Wong, and those nodding to the violence incited by people like Wong, would hype up the decision of the local election regulators.

Wong claimed the reason for his disqualification was a subjective judgment by the returning officer questioning his willingness to uphold the Basic Law, declaring that everyone knows "that the true reason is my identity－Joshua Wong".

In fact, the decision complies with the relevant stipulations of the SAR's Basic Law and election regulation, and the returning officer rightly disqualified Wong, because anyone questioning the People's Republic of China's sovereignty over Hong Kong or promoting self-determination is not permitted by law to stand as a candidate in the elections.

But Wong's words about his "identity" are revealing, as they show that his desire is simply to be in the spotlight so he can be feted by those wanting a figurehead for their "Hong Kong Spring".

It therefore comes as no surprise that some US senators jumped on the incident as fresh impetus for their attempts to meddle in Hong Kong affairs, claiming the decision goes against the rule of law, even though the law unequivocally makes clear that Wong's actions had already barred him from being a candidate.

It is the relentless efforts of the US to fuel the unrest in Hong Kong by whatever means it can in order to put maximum pressure on China that have helped to sustain the months of chaos in the SAR. And the US media's insistence on only allowing a minority of blowhards like Wong to air their opinions gives a distorted view of what's happening in the SAR.

The authority of the Basic Law is paramount in the SAR, which means it is a prerequisite that all candidates applying to be nominated for elections to the SAR legislature and administrative organs at various levels must comply with it. Given what he has done, Wong would be well aware that he would be disqualified as a candidate for the district council election. That he put himself forward anyway shows how calculating he is in manufacturing an identity to his own benefit and how amenable he is to satisfying the desires of those willing to use him as a friend for their benefit.

It is hoped that returning officers in other districts will be just as scrupulous in upholding the law when determining the suitability of candidates, so as to prevent others with self-serving ambitions from hijacking public power.