A unique feature of Hong Kong's political system is that elected politicians do not play a leading role in administering the city. That is especially true at the local level. Our 18 district councils are no more than talking shops responsible for advising government departments on how they can tailor their centrally formulated work plans to suit local needs.
Still, the public takes the elections seriously. Voter turnouts have been relatively high, even though not every one of the 400-plus seats was contested because of a lack of candidates. The government's decision to provide financial aid to candidates from next year is therefore welcome. The move should encourage more people to stand for election.
But if the government wants to lend credibility to its pledge to nurture more political talent, it will have to do a lot more than giving candidates cash.
When the government scrapped the two elected municipal councils in 1999, it promised to empower the district councils. Yet, after a review in 2001, it managed only to give them more money for minor projects and to increase councillors' allowances. A fresh review is now under way. It is important that the exercise will not disappoint again.
An encouraging sign is that Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has pledged to allow the councils to assume responsibility for libraries, community halls, leisure grounds, sports venues and swimming pools. 'The executive departments will follow the decisions of the district council in managing such facilities, within the limits of their existing statutory powers and resources available,' he said in his first policy address in October. That would be real progress, as it would mean the district councils having a portfolio similar to that of the defunct municipal councils, though not the financial autonomy the latter used to enjoy.
What Mr Tsang has left unsaid is how his vision will be achieved in practice. In this connection, it is interesting to note that two groups, SynergyNet and the Business and Professionals Federation, both feel that the role of district officers should be enhanced. These officers used to be fairly senior in the official hierarchy. They acted as the government's eyes and ears in the districts, and were responsible for co-ordinating the work of different departments at the local level. In his younger days, Mr Tsang was district officer of Sha Tin. Over the past 20 years, however, their role has diminished.
