Secretary for Home Affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Caspar Tsui (R), authorized by the HKSAR chief executive as the oath administrator, administers an oath-taking ceremony for the first group of district council members, at the North Point Community Hall in Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 10, 2021.Photo:Xinhua

 

Secretary for Home Affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Caspar Tsui (R), authorized by the HKSAR chief executive as the oath administrator, administers an oath-taking ceremony for the first group of district council members, at the North Point Community Hall in Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 10, 2021.Photo:Xinhua

 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Friday held an oath-taking ceremony for the first group of district councilors.

During the ceremony held at the North Point Community Hall, the district council members from several districts of Hong Kong Island took oaths individually, pledging to uphold the HKSAR Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR.

The oath-taking was administered by Secretary for Home Affairs of the HKSAR government Caspar Tsui, who was authorized by the HKSAR chief executive as the oath administrator.

The Public Offices (Candidacy and Taking Up Offices) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2021 was gazetted and came into effect on May 21 this year, which stipulates that district councilors are required to take an oath to uphold the HKSAR Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR.

According to the interpretation of Article 104 of the HKSAR Basic Law by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the person administering the oath determines whether an oath is valid or not. If the oath taken is determined as invalid, no arrangement shall be made for retaking the oath.

The oath administrator determined Friday that the oaths taken by 17 district councilors were valid.

One member of the Eastern District Council was absent and regarded as declining or neglecting to take the oath under section 20A of the Oaths and Declarations Ordinance. Accordingly, this member will vacate his office immediately.

As the oath administrator had doubts on the validity of the oaths taken by seven district council members, they were required to provide additional information for the oath administrator to decide the validity of their oaths.