Dennis Kwok hops on Basic Law bandwagon

The Civic Party's Dennis Kwok Wing-hang will sign a confirmation form pledging his support for the Basic Law but others, including pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, have refused to do so.

After handing in his application, Kwok said: "I will sign the confirmation form and submit it together with the nomination form. The majority of Hongkongers hope and expect the pro-democracy camp to win as many seats in this election as possible. Therefore I must strive to secure my candidacy.

"Other candidates in the traditional functional constituencies will also sign the confirmation form."

Kwok, who is seeking re-election after holding the seat in the legal functional constituency for eight years, said he is concerned about potentially being disqualified as he awaits a returning officer's questions.

In contrast, Wong, who has been disqualified in previous elections, said as he announced his bid to run in Kowloon East in the September elections: "In the aftermath of the security law, the risk for candidates is not merely getting disqualified, but being directly exposed to physical threats and being sent across the border to serve sentences in prisons."

The four victorious candidates in the pro-democracy camp primary elections in Hong Kong Island - the Democratic Party's Ted Hui Chi-fung, the Civic Party's Cheng Tat-hung and district councillors Tiffany Yuen Ka-wai and Fergus Leung Fong-wai - handed in their nominations yesterday, saying it will show Hongkongers' spirit to oppose tyranny if all four of them get elected.

Also handing in his nomination to run on the island was the pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions' Kwok Wai-keung.