Hong Kong leader outlines steps to move city beyond political chaos of past year
- Carrie Lam says changes will be made to oath-taking laws to align them with Beijing’s recent resolution that led to unseating of opposition legislators
- Liberal studies for older students will also be reformed, but no mention of extending voting to Hong Kong residents living in mainland China
In a speech heavily focused on politics, Lam said one of the city’s most urgent priorities was to restore its constitutional order and political system after the chaos of the previous year, as she set out identifying new measures to accomplish that goal.
Apart from lawmakers, Lam said all civil servants would be required “in due course” to sign a declaration pledging to uphold the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, a requirement already made compulsory for those who joined the public service before July this year.
“The taking of the oath is a legal pledge made by public officers to the People’s Republic of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and is legally binding,” she stressed in her speech at the Legislative Council.
Lam also outlined plans to boost moral and national education in the city, suggesting that changes were in the works for liberal studies, a secondary school subject that pro-establishment supporters had long accused of fuelling student anger against the government and the nation.
