Number of Hong Kong lawmakers opting out of Legco election reaches 12

Three more Hong Kong lawmakers have decided not to run in the coming Legislative Council election, bringing the total to at least 12 so far. Lo Wai-kwok, 71, chairman of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, the Liberal Party’s Frankie Yick Chi-ming, 72, and Chow Man-kong, 44, all announced their decision not to seek another term on Monday. Veteran politician Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said her party would make an announcement “in due course”, and asked the media not to “harass” her. Lo, who has represented the engineering sector since 2012, said: “These days, I have been reflecting on the past and planning for the future with my team, party colleagues and family members. “To help pass on the legacy of Legco and support Legco’s rejuvenation, I have decided not to run.” In a social media post, the three-term lawmaker said he would continue to serve the community and the country in other capacities. Yick, who represents the transport sector in the legislature, said he had decided against seeking re-election after “careful consideration and consultation with my family and party members”. He also urged people to cast votes to elect “talented and capable” candidates, allowing more “motivated young people to enter the Legco”. “After leaving Legco, I will continue to advocate for the sustainable development of the shipping and transport industry in other roles, and work together for the long-term economic development of Hong Kong,” he wrote on social media. Yick succeeded fellow Liberal Party member Miriam Lau Kin-yee as the lawmaker for the transport functional constituency and has occupied the seat since 2012. On Monday, he thanked his constituents for their support over the years, allowing him to “speak out for the various sectors within the shipping and transport industry in Legco and to strive for a favourable business environment for the industry”. Chow, who is a professor of practice at City University’s data science department, said he would like to set aside more time for academic and policy research. “Because policy research and promoting collaboration among government, industry, academia and research institutions can take up a lot of time and energy, I will not run in the coming Legco election,” the Election Committee constituency lawmaker said. The departure of Lo and Yick, as well as several other seasoned legislators, has fuelled speculation that a Beijing-favoured age limit of 70 is being imposed. But some have yet to confirm whether they will run for office again, including 75-year-old Ip, chairwoman of the New People’s Party and convenor of the government’s top decision-making Executive Council. Crowded by reporters as she walked into a Legco conference room on Monday, Ip said: “The New People’s Party will make an announcement in due course. Please do not harass me. I need to go to the meeting.” Louis Loong Hon-biu, Lai Tung-kwok and Tony Tse Wai-chuen are also among veteran lawmakers who have yet to confirm their plans for the coming election. So far, at least 12 legislators have announced they will not run in the coming election. They include: Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, 74, of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong; Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, 76, of the Liberal Party; non-affiliated Chan Kin-por, 71; Ma Fung-kwok, 70, of the New Century Forum; Tik Chi-yuen, 68, of the Third Side party; and Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, who turns 74 this month and also sits on Exco. Tam Yiu-chung, the city’s former sole delegate in the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s top legislative body, said that he respected the legislators’ decision and was also pleased Legco would welcome new faces. He did not comment on rumours about the age limit for Legco, but said it was common practice that NPC deputies would step down after reaching 70. “It is like an unwritten rule,” Tam said in a radio interview. But he was quick to add: “It is not to say the age limit is now extended to Hong Kong’s Legco.” “[The exit of older lawmakers] offers more chances and training opportunities for the younger talent. Many [young candidates] have served in the districts for a long time; running for Legco is a step up for them,” he said. Tam, 75, cited his own departure from Legco in 2016, after stepping down as the chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong the previous year. He said he wanted to offer younger colleagues the chance to take up leadership positions. The Legco election will be held on December 7, with the nomination period running from October 24 to November 6. Under electoral reforms introduced in 2021, the 90 seats in Legco comprise 40 elected by the 1,500-member Election Committee, 30 for trade-based functional constituencies and 20 for directly elected geographic constituencies.

Number of Hong Kong lawmakers opting out of Legco election reaches 12

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Lo Wai-kwok, 71, Frankie Yick Chi-ming, 72, and 44-year-old Chow Man-kong latest lawmakers to announce decision not to run for office

Lo Wai-kwok, 71, Frankie Yick Chi-ming, 72, and 44-year-old Chow Man-kong latest lawmakers to announce decision not to run for office