《TAIPEI TIMES》 Hong Kong bars activist Joshua Wong from elections

/ Bloomberg and AP, HONG KONG

Hong Kong yesterday disqualified activist Joshua Wong （黃之鋒） from running in district council elections on Nov. 24, in a blow to protesters’ efforts to win greater electoral influence in the territory.

請繼續往下閱讀...

The government said in a statement, without naming any candidates, that support for “self-determination” was inconsistent with Hong Kong’s Basic Law and affirmed its support for the official who made the decision.

“I become the only candidate banned from running in November’s District Council Election,” Wong said in a tweet.

“It proved how Beijing manipulate the election with political censorship and screening,” he wrote.

A former student activist who gained global recognition for his leadership role in the 2014 Occupy protests, Wong has supported Hong Kong’s “self-determination” — a position Hong Kong officials equate with advocating independence.

He was among several activists seeking to take the more traditional political path and convert the street protests into electoral victories in next month’s vote.

Although Wong has played a more peripheral role in the current protests — testifying in Washington for congressional action to support Hong Kong — he was among several prominent activists arrested since the unrest began.

He was released on bail and faces his next court hearing on Friday next week.

Wong “has immense symbolic significance for young people” in Hong Kong and disqualifying him is likely to worsen the ongoing unrest, said Willy Lam （林和立）, an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Centre for China Studies.

“The disqualification of Joshua could become another cause celebre for the opposition to rally people and ensure that the confrontation will continue and even be exacerbated,” Lam said. “It’s a very stupid move on the part of the SAR [special administrative region] administration.”

Wong was banned because while he did not associate himself with the Demosisto party in his application, he was a founding member of the group, Radio Television Hong Kong reported, citing a notice from an electoral official.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam （林鄭月娥） said there would be no political solution until the violent protests end.

“For the government to resort to measures that will appease the violent rioters, I don’t think that is the solution,” Lam told reporters. “Until and unless we tackle the violence and put an end to it, it is very difficult to continue the political dialogue we have done.”

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES