Friends of Hong Kong Association Ltd organize a signature campaign in Wan Chai to support the HKSAR government's street stalls on the overhaul of HK's district councils on May 5, 2023. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)
A coalition comprising Hong Kong’s leading political parties and social groups was formed on Friday to help the public better understand the special administrative region government’s newly announced overhaul of the city’s district councils.
The Hong Kong SAR government on Tuesday announced a detailed plan to reform the city’s district councils, with the aims of safeguarding national security, ensuring patriots-led administration and improving district governance
The coalition, convened by lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king, will set up street booths and hold introduction seminars across the city to introduce detailed arrangements and the significance of the reform plan to various sectors, so as to garner more public support for the initiative. The coalition will also collect residents’ signatures during the activities to express support for the reform.
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The Hong Kong SAR government on Tuesday announced a detailed plan to reform the city’s district councils, with the aims of safeguarding national security, ensuring patriots-led administration and improving district governance.
After the reform, the total number of seats in the district councils will be 470, slightly down from the current 479 seats, to maintain district services. Apart from 27 ex-officio members from the New Territories rural committees, the rest of the district councilors will be returned through direct and indirect elections and appointed by the government at a ratio of 2:4:4 respectively.
Speaking at the coalition’s launching ceremony in Causeway Bay, Lee, who chairs the city’s largest political group the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said the reform aims to bring the district councils back on track, as the advisory body had been hijacked and manipulated by some councilors as a tool to impede the government’s work and endanger national security.
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Having served as a district councilor for over 20 years, Lee said the goal of the reform is to ensure district councilors perform the roles set for them, which is to help the SAR government hear local people’s voices and improve district level governance.
Legislator Chan Yung, who also attended the event, said he hopes the new district councils attract more community leaders who want to serve the city, and make greater contributions to Hong Kong’s development and people’s well-being.
Friends of Hong Kong Association Ltd organize a signature campaign in Wan Chai to support the HKSAR government's street stalls on the overhaul of HK's district councils on May 5, 2023. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)
Also on Friday, dozens of Hong Kong deputies to the National People’s Congress and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference attended another promotional campaign of the reform, which was organized by the Friends of Hong Kong Association. Many residents added their signatures during the activity to show their support for the overhaul.
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As one of the signatories, lawmaker Ma Fung-kwok said the government has great determination to solve the problems of the current district councils. Ma noted the district officers, who will chair the councils in their districts in the new arrangement, will have more administrative resources and direct channels to hear public opinion, which will greatly increase the districts’ administration efficiency.