Hong Kong No 2 official to chair powerful vetting panel that screens election hopefuls, with home and youth affairs chief also joining group

Eric Chan replaces finance minister Paul Chan in the role, previously held by current city leader John Lee who stepped down to run for the top job earlier this year

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak joins Chan on seven-member Candidate Eligibility Review Committee

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Hong Kong Chief Secretary Eric Chan. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 2:25pm, 19 Sep 2022Updated: 8:42pm, 19 Sep 2022

Hong Kong’s No 2 official Eric Chan Kwok-ki has been appointed chairman of a powerful vetting panel responsible for deciding whether election hopefuls are sufficiently “patriotic” or pose a threat to national security, replacing Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po.

Also joining the seven-member Candidate Eligibility Review Committee is Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen, of the pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) and who previously served as a lawmaker.

The appointments by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Monday came months ahead of a possible legislative by-election to fill four seats after Mak and three other lawmakers resigned to join the new administration in July.

The vetting committee was established as part of a drastic overhaul of Hong Kong’s political system last year, aimed at screening out candidates seen as “unpatriotic” or a threat to national security. The body is advised by the police force’s National Security Department and the Committee for Safeguarding National Security.

Last November, registered nurse Lau Tsz-chun, one of 154 would-be candidates for the Legislative Council election, was disqualified by the panel on the grounds of him being a part-time government employee. The Legislative Council Ordinance states that judicial officers and prescribed public officers are ineligible for nomination.

Home and Youth Affairs chief Alice Mak, formerly a lawmaker. Photo: Dickson Lee

The vetting committee, upon its creation last year, was first chaired by Lee, the then chief secretary. Financial chief Paul Chan took the helm of the panel in April after Lee resigned as the city’s No 2 official to run for the top job. The committee then gave Lee the green light to stand in the poll.