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Protests shut down electoral commission briefing as Hong Kong Indigenous’ Edward Leung disqualified from Legco elections

Returning officer states she doesn’t believe Leung genuinely changed his previous stance favouring independence

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Pan democrats protest during 2016 Legislative Council General Election candidates' briefing at Kowloon Bay International Trade and Exhibition Centre. Photo: David Wong
Hong Kong’s election watchdog on Tuesday rejected localist leader Edward Leung Tin-kei’s bid to run in next month’s Legislative Council polls, setting off a chorus of complaints about political screening of candidates and raising doubts about the watchdog’s neutrality.

With Leung’s rejection, a total of six candidates for the September 4 polls have had their nominations invalidated by returning officers over their advocacy of the city’s independence from China.

Pan democrats protesting at the Legislative Council general election candidates' briefing. Photo: David Wong
Pan democrats protesting at the Legislative Council general election candidates' briefing. Photo: David Wong
There were chaotic scenes at a briefing for validated candidates by the Electoral Affairs Commission on Tuesday night as protesting pan-democratic and localist hopefuls disrupted the session. The commission was forced to cut short the briefing, and police guarding the venue removed the protesters.

As protesters tried to storm the speakers’ stage, Demosisto chairman Nathan Law Kwun-chung was seen being pushed to the ground. He later sought medical treatment at United Christian Hospital for leg injuries and planned to file a police report, suspecting he had been manhandled by a plainclothes officer.

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