HONG KONG Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said yesterday that the Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government will fully implement the interpretation passed by China’s top legislature concerning oath-taking by public officers specified in Article 104 of the SAR’s Basic Law.

    Leung told a press conference that as the chief executive of the SAR, he has the duty to implement the Basic Law. Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China, and the Hong Kong people have the duty to uphold national unity, territorial integrity and security, he said.

    Certain elected members of the current-term Legislative Council (LegCo), including Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching, deliberately violated the oath-taking procedure and content requirements of the oath. They even insulted the country and the Chinese people with their words and deeds during the oath-taking, as well as advocated “Hong Kong independence,” he said, noting that their conduct has caused widespread indignation in Hong Kong and across the country.

    The SAR Government considers that their conduct seriously undermines the rule of law and deals a heavy blow to “one country, two systems,” said Leung.

    On Oct. 18, the SAR Government commenced legal proceedings in the court, requesting that the court rule that Leung and Yau had failed to fulfill their legal obligations and should be disqualified as LegCo members.

    The interpretation was intended to ensure that public officers specified in Article 104 of the Basic Law, including LegCo members, when assuming office and taking oath in accordance with the law, must read out the oath as prescribed in the law, including “to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China,” in an accurate, complete and solemn manner, said Leung.

    The interpretation has clarified that any oath taken in a manner that is not sincere or solemn is considered a “decline” to take the oath, and that the oath taken is rendered invalid. As such, the person taking the oath is regarded as having forthwith lost his or her qualification for the corresponding public office and therefore cannot assume such public office, nor exercise his or her duties or enjoy the corresponding benefits of the office, he noted.

    Leung and Yau, two elected members of the LegCo, deliberately used curse words insulting the Chinese nation when reading the oath at a swearing-in Oct. 12. Their oath was not accepted by the LegCo’s oath supervisor.

    (Xinhua)