Oath-taking by District Council members (with photos/video)
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The Public Offices (Candidacy and Taking Up Offices) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2021 was gazetted and came into effect on May 21, 2021. The Ordinance amends certain legislation, including requiring District Council (DC) members to take an oath to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and bear allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC (uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR).
The Government today (September 10) held the oath-taking ceremony for DC members from the Central and Western District Council, the Wan Chai District Council, the Eastern District Council and the Southern District Council at North Point Community Hall. During the oath-taking ceremony, the DC members present took oaths individually that they would uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR. The oath-taking was administered by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui, who was authorised by the Chief Executive as the oath administrator.
According to the Interpretation of Article 104 of the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the PRC by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the person administering the oath has the duty to ensure that the oath is taken in a lawful manner. He or she shall determine that an oath taken in compliance with the Interpretation and the requirements under the laws of the HKSAR is valid, and that an oath which is not taken in compliance with the Interpretation and the requirements under the laws of the HKSAR is invalid. If the oath taken is determined as invalid, no arrangement shall be made for retaking the oath.
Based on the principles laid down by the Interpretation and the relevant legal provisions, the oath administrator determined that the oaths taken by the following DC members were valid:
Central and Western District Council
1. Mr Young Chit-on, Jeremy
2. Mr Pang Ka-ho
3. Mr Yeung Sui-yin, Victor
Wan Chai District Council
1. Ms Koo Kwok-wai, Sabina
2. Mr Lam Wai-man, Anson
3. Mr Tse Wai-chun, Paul
4. Mr Wong Wang-tai, Ivan
5. Ms Lee Pik-yee, Peggy
Eastern District Council
1. Ms Leung Wing-sze
2. Ms Lee Ching-har, Annie
3. Mr Yuen Kin-chung, Kenny
4. Ms Chau Hui-yan
5. Mr Kwok Wai-keung
6. Mr Chow Cheuk-ki
Southern District Council
1. Ms Lam Yuk-chun
2. Mr Paul Zimmerman
3. Mr Leung Chun, Jonathan
Mr Choi Chi-keung, Peter of the Eastern District Council was absent and regarded as declining or neglecting to take the oath under section 20A of the Oaths and Declarations Ordinance. Accordingly, he shall vacate his office immediately pursuant to section 21 of that Ordinance. Moreover, as the oath administrator had doubts on the validity of the oaths taken by the following DC members today, letters were issued to the DC members concerned to require them to provide additional information for the oath administrator to decide the validity of their oaths.
Wan Chai District Council
1. Miss Yeung Suet-ying, Clarisse
2. Mr Leung Pak-kin
Eastern District Council
1. Ms Wei Siu-lik
2. Mr So Yat-hang
3. Mr Chan Wing-tai
4. Ms Lai Tsz-yan
Southern District Council
1. Mr Pang Cheuk-kei, Michael