First Hong Kong district council election under new system set for December 10

Political parties signal intent to field candidates, but say larger constituencies will put pressure on finances
Current affairs commentator predicts candidates with backing of party machines will have advantage over independents

Hong Kong politics

Ng Kang-chung

Published: 9:13pm, 24 Jul 2023

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Hong Kong’s first district council election in the wake of major changes to the system will be held on December 10, and the government has appealed to “patriotic” candidates to run for office.

Political parties, including the Democratic Party, the city’s largest opposition group, on Monday said they were considering fielding candidates for the municipal advisory bodies, but some said campaign funding could be a major obstacle because constituencies had become larger as part of the changes.

They were speaking after the election date was gazetted, 4½ months before polling day.

The announcement came weeks after legislation was passed to overhaul the district council election process.

Members of the public queue up to cast their votes in the last district council election in 2019. Photo: May Tse

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said the changes were designed to “depoliticise” district councils and stop anti-China troublemakers and separatists from manipulating them as they did in 2019, when Hong Kong was racked by anti-government protests.

The opposition recorded a landslide victory in the 2019 poll.

But, after a wave of resignations and disqualifications because of new oath-taking requirements under the Beijing-imposed national security law, most district councils have been inactive.

The shake-up of the municipal-level organisations involved a reduction of democratically elected seats. Only 88 – about one-fifth – of the 470 seats in 18 districts will be decided by popular vote, falling from 95 per cent to 19 per cent.

The chief executive will appoint 179 members, and three government-appointed community committees will decide 176, with another 27 seats reserved for rural leaders.

Candidates will also require nominations from members of the three community committees and will have to pass a government screening procedure.

There were 452 constituencies in 2019, but from next year there will be 44, with two councillors returned by popular vote from each one.

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Lo Kin-hei, the chairman of the Democratic Party, which held eight council seats, said some members who had served the public for years had “expressed interest” in standing.

He added the party had established procedures for candidate selection and if members were interested, their names could be recommended to the party leadership for consideration in late August.

The centrist party Third Side also said it was considering fielding candidates and preparations were under way.

But Caspar Wong Chun-long, the party’s vice-chairman, said: “One thing that has to be sorted out is the funding issue. We are a small party and resources will be a major factor when we consider our election strategies.”

Wan Chai district council chairman Ivan Wong Wang-tai agreed that funding was a major consideration.

“As an independent candidate, I would have no support from a political party.” Wong, who has served on Wan Chai’s district council for 20 years, said. “The boundary of the new constituency is also much bigger than that in the past.”

The leading pro-establishment party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said it planned to contest the elections.

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But party lawmaker Nixie Lam Lam, a former Tsuen Wan district councillor, said she supported the changes and that larger constituencies would make it easier for district representatives to help the public as services often crossed the former, smaller seat boundaries.

Chan Wai-keung, a lecturer at Polytechnic University and a current affairs commentator, predicted candidates from a party background would have an edge over independent candidates in the new electoral system.

“It will probably be a game between big parties. The constituencies are much bigger than in the past. You will need a lot of resources to reach out to the electorate,” Chan, also a former Yau Tsim Mong district councillor, said.

“Candidates will need to have a more overall and comprehensive plan on improving the livelihood of the entire district.”

Anyone interested in standing can submit their nomination papers between October 17 and 30.

“The government … encourages individuals with talent and aspirations who are patriotic and have an affection for Hong Kong to serve the community by actively participating in the election,” a government spokesman said.

He also highlighted that the role of the elected councillors, who will take office next January, would be to “provide advisory services to the government”.

The spokesman added authorities would ensure that the elections would be “open, fair, honest, and be safely and orderly conducted”.