Mass resignations as Hong Kong ousts four pro-democracy lawmakers

Hong Kong’s parliament has been plunged into turmoil as 19 pro-democracy lawmakers announced they would resign in protest against a decision by Beijing to unseat four of their colleagues. The news comes just hours after China’s ruling Communist Party granted Hong Kong officials sweeping powers to remove lawmakers deemed a threat to national security. Authorities in Hong Kong moved swiftly, saying four lawmakers – Dennis Kwok, Alvin Yeung, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung – would “lose their qualification as legislators immediately.” Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam called the decision “legal, reasonable and necessary.” Members of the pro-democracy, anti-Beijing camp were just as quick to respond. “We will resign from our positions because our partners, our colleagues are being disqualified by the central government’s ruthless move,” said Wu Chi-wai, a pro-democracy lawmaker and chairman of the Democratic Party. “According to the Basic Law, there is separation of power, but today, the decision made by the central government simply said that all the separation of power will be taken away, and all the power will be centralised in the chief executive.” Once the resignations are accepted and take effect, Hong Kong’s mini-parliament, the 70-member Legislative Council, will be reduced by about a third, with remaining lawmakers largely supportive of Beijing's increasingly aggressive policies. “In terms of legality and constitutionality, obviously from our point of view this is clearly in breach of basic law and our rights to participate in public affairs, and a failure to observe due process,” said Dennis Kwok, one of the ousted lawmakers. Mr Yeung, also unseated, pledged to continue supporting freedoms in Hong Kong out of office, even though “the road ahead will be bumpy, difficult and challenging.”

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