Hong Kong authorities reject Democratic Party’s winning bid for stall at Lunar New Year fair without giving reason, head of group says
- Democratic Party chairman Lo Kin-hei says Food and Environmental Hygiene Department notified group their bid was invalid, after making successful offer for stall
- Government has warned that officers will patrol Lunar New Year fairs to inspect merchandise or displays that may carry messages violating national security law
Hong Kong authorities have rejected a winning bid by the biggest opposition party to run a stall at the main Lunar New Year fair in February without giving a reason, the head of the group has said.
Democratic Party chairman Lo Kin-hei on Tuesday said it had won the bid for the dry goods stall at a government auction for the annual Victoria Park fair, but was later notified by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department that the proposed purchase was invalid.
He said authorities only cited a clause stating that “the government reserves the absolute right not to enter into a licence agreement with any successful bidder without cause”.
“Of course we are disappointed because the Lunar New Year fair has been a good opportunity to communicate with the public in the past,” he said.
“As the dry goods stalls reopened this year, we tried to bid,” Lo said. “But in the end it is a pity that we are unable to meet the public at the Lunar New Year fair.”
