Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam gives reasons legislators will be disqualified

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's Chief Executive, on Wednesday said lawmakers unable to uphold basic law and pledge allegiance to Hong Kong should be disqualified as legislators.

Hong Kong has moved to disqualify four pro-democracy legislators after Beijing passed a resolution that would allow local government to remove lawmakers from ir positions if y’re deemed to threaten national security.

disqualification of Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung came after National People's Congress Standing Committee, which held meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, passed a resolution stating that those who support city's independence or refuse to ackwledge China's sovereignty over city, as well as commit acts that threaten national security or ask external forces to interfere in city's affairs, should be disqualified.

Pro-democracy lawmakers from opposition camp responded to decision and said y will resign en masse in a show of defiance if any pro-democracy legislators were disqualified.

group is expected to formally anunce ir resignation in a news conference later Wednesday.

A mass resignation by pro-democracy camp would leave Hong Kong's legislature with only pro-Beijing lawmakers.

Lam said it was "unfair to pro-establishment members" to suggest that legislature would become a "rubber stamp of Hong Kong SAR government."

Beijing has in recent months moved to clamp down on opposition voices in Hong Kong with imposition of national security law, after months of anti-government protests last year rocked city.