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Author: Ying Zhuo
2020-11-11 17:05
Last update date: 2020-11-11 17:12
In the past few days, many media including "Hong Kong 01" reported that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress will pass a decision on the qualifications of the Hong Kong Legislative Council. In July this year, four people were ruled invalid for nomination for the new Legislative Council. The members of the pan-democratic party-Yang Yueqiao, Guo Rongkeng and Guo Jiaqi of the Civic Party, and Liang Jichang, who is a professional discussion person, are expected to be disqualified as members.
Sure enough, after the meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Wednesday (November 11), Xinhua News Agency published the "Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on the Qualifications of the Legislative Council Members of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". , Guo Jiaqi and Liang Jichang immediately lost their qualifications as members of the Legislative Council.
This decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress includes three points.
First, "Members of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region who promote or support the "Hong Kong Independence" claim, refuse to recognize the state's ownership and exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, seek foreign or foreign forces to interfere in the affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or have other acts that endanger national security. , Does not meet the statutory requirements and conditions for upholding the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Once recognized in accordance with the law, he will immediately lose his qualifications as a member of the Legislative Council.”
This intention is in line with the Hong Kong National Security Law passed a few months ago, and the Hong Kong Legislative Council has put forward rigid constraints on the members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council to observe "one country" and not hinder national security. It is very targeted and is the most important decision this time.
On June 4, 2020, the Hong Kong Legislative Council met to discuss the "National Anthem Bill".
(Reuters)
Second, "This decision applies to members of the sixth legislative council who were ruled invalid by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region during the nomination period for the election of the seventh legislative council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region originally scheduled to be held on September 6, 2020. ", "In the future, those who participate in elections or serve as members of the Legislative Council shall apply this decision in the case of the above-mentioned circumstances."
On the one hand, this point responds to and confirms that the Returning Officer disqualified the above-mentioned four pan-democratic legislators from running for the new term of the Legislative Council in July this year. On the other hand, it clarified that all future legislators and current legislators must follow. The decision.
Third, "the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government shall declare those who lose their qualifications as members of the Legislative Council in accordance with the aforementioned provisions.
This gives the Hong Kong government "the right to declare."
Considering that the second point mentioned above is equivalent to recognizing the ruling power of the Returning Officer, it can be concluded that the "declaration power" here should include the ruling power, which is to implement and consolidate the administrative leadership that Beijing has repeatedly emphasized in its governance system.
This is evident from the fact that the Hong Kong government immediately deprived the four members of the qualifications of the National People's Congress in accordance with the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
The above three points generally mean that from now on, as long as the Hong Kong government can legally determine that candidates and current members of the Legislative Council have violated the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on the qualifications of members, they can legally deprive them of their qualifications.
This is equivalent to Beijing re-establishing rules for Hong Kong politics, which will have a major impact on Hong Kong's political ecology and order in the future.
According to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, this decision is to fully and accurately implement the "One Country, Two Systems" policy and Hong Kong's Basic Law, safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and maintain Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability.
Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, said that this decision is "another important piece of legislation to uphold and improve the system of "one country, two systems", safeguard national security in accordance with the law, and maintain the constitutional order of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region." Normal operation and social stability will help Hong Kong society gather positive energy, work together to boost the economy and protect people's livelihood."
On May 8, 2020, at a meeting of the House Committee of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, pan-democratic lawmakers fought with security and establishment lawmakers.
(Reuters)
In other words, the reason why Beijing has set the rules this time is because, in Beijing's view, the status quo of the Hong Kong Legislative Council hinders the normal operation of Hong Kong's political system and social stability, making Hong Kong society unable to "work together to boost the economy and protect people's livelihood."
Frankly speaking, this is actually something to follow. In the first half of this year, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Liaison Office of the Hong Kong Central Committee issued a document severely criticizing the chaos of the House Committee of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, condemning some members of "malicious "rabbling" and adopting "political assault". fry"".
It is foreseeable that as long as the Hong Kong government can implement the decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in accordance with the law, there will be no room for radical local, separatism, political speculation, and foreign or foreign interference in the Legislative Council.
This also means that the Hong Kong government and various establishment political groups will have greater say and control over Hong Kong politics.
After this change, the establishment has no reason to shirk its responsibility for poor governance in Hong Kong.
The establishment should not mistakenly think that just expelling radical locals and separatism from the Legislative Council will be all right. They must see the series of problems and deep-seated structural contradictions hidden behind radical locals and separatism, and they must face and respond directly to Hong Kong people. And actively promote structural reforms in Hong Kong, so that Hong Kong can truly get out of its predicament.
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