Editorial | Hard work begins after the Hong Kong oaths end
- With no dissenting voices, the swearing-in ceremony for members of the Legislative Council was uneventful, but now those lawmakers must prove they can meet the daunting challenges ahead
The new Legislative Council term has seemingly got off to a good start, with all members sworn into office without any drama on Monday. This is in stark contrast to the past, when some opposition members made use of the occasion to make political statements only to lose their seats on the grounds that they had not taken their oaths properly.
Whether an uneventful ceremony bodes well for the future remains to be seen, but there is certainly more to the work of the legislature than just pledging allegiance.
For the first time, the oath was presided over by the chief executive. In another symbolic change, the 70-minute ceremony began with a band playing the national anthem against a backdrop of the national emblem, and the national and Hong Kong flags.
The 90 members took turns to solemnly take their oaths, and rightly so.
Relations between the executive and the legislative branches were anything but good until last year, when the opposition resigned en masse in protest against fellow lawmakers being ousted for not upholding the Basic Law, an essential element of the oath of office. The subsequent electoral reform went further to ensure only pre-vetted “patriots” could run for Legco office.
