Hong Kong’s district councils to be chaired by government officials, hopefuls seeking fewer directly elected seats to undergo vetting

Chief Executive John Lee says overhaul necessary to put municipal-level bodies back on right track of serving residents

Next district councils, to be formed by end of year, will be composed of 470 representatives, and 88 seats will be returned through popular vote

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Hongkongers show up in force at the district council election in 2019 amid the social unrest. Photo: May Tse

Published: 4:50pm, 2 May 2023Updated: 12:32am, 3 May 2023

Hong Kong’s district councils will be transformed into administrative-led bodies chaired by government officials in a comprehensive overhaul requiring candidates for drastically reduced, directly elected seats to undergo tough national security vetting.

Unveiling detailed plans to “depoliticise” the councils and redirect their focus to community-level livelihood issues, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday said the overhaul was necessary to put the municipal-level bodies back on the right track of serving residents.

He stressed the need to prevent “anti-China troublemakers” and those promoting separatism and violence from “manipulating and paralysing” the councils in a repeat of the situation following the 2019 anti-government protests when opposition forces took them over in a sweeping election win.

(From left) Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Executive John Lee, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok and Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak announce the revamp on Tuesday. Photo: Jelly Tse

“The chaos that once happened in district councils pushed Hong Kong to the edge of a cliff, with some threatening national security,” he said.

“I will not allow any attempts by district councillors to sabotage the interests of Hong Kong and force residents to jump off the cliff with them.”

The revamp was announced nearly two years after two-thirds of 479 council seats became vacant, due to either disqualifications or resignations in response to oath-taking requirements introduced by the Beijing-imposed national security law.

The next district councils, to be formed by the end of this year, will be composed of 470 representatives, and 88 seats, or 19 per cent, will be returned through popular vote.

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Hong Kong’s district councils to be chaired by government officials, hopefuls seeking fewer directly elected seats to undergo vetting

Chief Executive John Lee says overhaul necessary to put municipal-level bodies back on right track of serving residents Next district councils, to be formed by end of year, will be composed of 470 representatives, and 88 seats will be returned through popular vote

Chief Executive John Lee says overhaul necessary to put municipal-level bodies back on right track of serving residents

Next district councils, to be formed by end of year, will be composed of 470 representatives, and 88 seats will be returned through popular vote