Accra, Oct. 29 (UPI) - Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong said Tuesday that he has been disqualified from running in the upcoming District Council elections due to his political beliefs.
"I become the only candidate banned from running in November's District Council Election," Wong said in a tweet that accompanied the notice of decision on his nomination. "... It proved how Beijing manipulated the election with political [censorship] and screening."
He is so far the only candidate to be disqualified due to their political beliefs.
The decision was made by Laura Aron, district officer of the South Horizons West Constituency of the Southern District Council for which Wong had applied in early October to be a candidate for in the Nov. 24 election.
In a press release Tuesday, the Hong Kong government said it supports Aron's decision, saying Wong's candidacy does not comply with local electoral laws due to his advocacy of "self-determination."
"The candidate cannot possibly comply with the requirements of the relevant electoral laws, since advocating or promoting 'self-determination' is contrary to the content of the declaration that the law requires a candidate to make to uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the HKSAR," the government said, referring to the semi-autonomous region by the initials of its officials name, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The government said advocating for self-determination or to support Hong Kong's independence from China "is inconsistent with the constitutional and legal status of the HKSAR."
Wong came to prominence during the 2014 Umbrella Movement that rocked the region in demand for Hong Kong citizens to have the right to choose their political leaders.
He has also been a prominent figure during the ongoing pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong that began in early summer.
GNA
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