Hong Kong Legislative Council announces 2 vacancies

The Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) Monday gazetted that two seats have become vacant after Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching were disqualified as LegCo members.

The two gazette notices, signed off by Clerk to the LegCo Kenneth Chen, were published Monday on the gazette of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government.

In the notices, Chen declared in accordance with section 35(1) of the LegCo Ordinance that the office of LegCo member previously held by Leung, and the one held by Yau Wai-ching have become vacant, pursuant to the judgments made by the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal of the High Court of the Hong Kong SAR on Nov. 15 and 30 respectively.

Leung and Yau used derogatory language insulting the country and nation when taking oaths at a swearing-in ceremony of the new LegCo on Oct. 12. Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and the SAR government filed a judicial review against the decision by the LegCo president to give the pair a second chance to be sworn in.

On Nov. 15, the Court of First Instance disqualified the pair. On Nov. 30, the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal of the pair and upheld the previous ruling.

(APD)