High Court's ruling affirms legality of DC polls: Govt
The SAR government on Saturday reiterated that the revamped district council election is "lawful and reasonable", following High Court's dismissal of a legal challenge questioning the constitutionality of the new nomination rule. Under the revised election procedure, candidates must secure nominations from three district level committees to stand in the District Council polls. In a statement, a government spokesman said the High Court's ruling had affirmed that this nomination requirement is consistent with the Basic Law. He said the court recognised members of the three district level committees as important stakeholders in district affairs, adding that they were the most suitable to exercise the nomination rights. He said the court deemed the nomination requirement to be a proportionate restriction on residents' right to vote, and added that the committee members would not exercise the nomination rights arbitrarily. The spokesman also said the court accepted the legitimate objectives of the revised nomination requirement, including the full implementation of the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", enhancing stability across the political spectrum, and a better representation of the majority's opinions. He said the High Court's ruling has established a strong legal basis for the upcoming District Council elections.