Joshua Wong, Hong Kong pro-democracy leader, barred from election

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been disqualified from running in local district council elections scheduled in vember. Hong Kong Electoral Affairs Commission issued a tice on October 29 on validity of Wong’s mination saying his mination has been deemed “invalid” by Returning Officer (RO).

Wong accuses Beijing of political censorship

Wong, Secretary-General of Demosistō, a pro-democracy organisation vocating self-determination for Hong Kong, claimed that he has become only candidate to be barred from running in upcoming council elections. “It proved how Beijing manipulate election with political censorship and screening,” tweeted Wong while sharing tice issued by Returning Officer Laura Aron.

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Returning Officer replaced

Earlier on October 27, Wong, in a series of tweets, said that Dorothy Ma, n returning officer of Wong’s constituency, was suddenly replaced by Laura Aron. Wong claimed that Beijing was putting immense pressure on Ma to disqualify him. Wong said that whole development was thing but political censorship by Beijing.

“Returning Officer (Electoral officer) who is responsible for vetting my candidacy, in past, was more than checking doc and verifying identity. But since 2016, returning officers have often disqualified candidates,” wrote Wong.

He said that grounds of recent disqualifications don’t uphold basic law.

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RO wanted to kw Wong's political stance

23-year-old pro-democracy activist said that he was asked, in a letter written by Dorothy Ma, to confirm his political stance.

“It is against my will to participate in game of political censorship but I h replied promptly, explaining why officer should t politically screen candidates, and explain my own political stance,” said Wong.

Wong said that after his reply, events escalated in “weirdest way possible”. When Wong visited Ma’s office to get updates on his candidature, he found out that she was on leave due to sickness. According to Wong, government didn’t follow procedure in appointing acting officer and decided to let an electoral officer in Kowloon take up vacant role of Ma.

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