The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Monday held an oath ceremony for the third group of district councilors. 

During the ceremony held at the North Point Community Hall, district council members from the North District, the Tai Po District, the Sai Kung District, and the Sha Tin District took oaths individually, pledging to uphold the HKSAR Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR. 

The oaths were administered by Secretary for Home Affairs of the HKSAR government Caspar Tsui, who was authorized by the HKSAR chief executive, the city's oath administrator. 

The administrator determined on Monday that the oaths taken by 34 district councilors were valid, and had doubts on the validity of the oaths taken by 16 other councilors. Another two district council members were unable to attend the ceremony. 

The Public Offices (Candidacy and Taking Up Offices) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2021 was gazetted and came into effect on May 21, which stipulates that district councilors are required to take an oath to uphold the HKSAR Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR. 

According to the SAR government's arrangement, all sitting district councilors take their oaths in four groups.  

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According to the interpretation of Article 104 of the HKSAR Basic Law by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the person administering the oath determines whether an oath is valid or not. If the oath taken is determined as invalid, no arrangement shall be made for retaking the oath. 

In September, oaths taken by 62 district councilors in the first two groups were confirmed valid.