New guidelines for Hong Kong’s district councillors allow proxy voting, but minister confident privilege won’t be abused

District councillors have once again been given permission to vote on behalf of their colleagues at meetings after the government endorsed the practice, with the minister in charge of the politicians expressing confidence that the power will not be abused.

Secretary for Home Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen on Saturday said the rule, which had been dropped by 16 of the 18 district councils in the previous four-year term, would not encourage absences given the new requirement of 80 per cent of attendance at meetings.

“The restored rule does not mean it has to be used,” she told a radio programme. “It’s there just in case district councillors might be ill and can’t make the meetings, but would like to express an opinion. They could appoint someone else to vote for them.”

In the past, some members had “vanished” after being elected to the municipal-level bodies, Mak said, noting that at least three councillors only turned up to meetings for 15 minutes once every four months - the previous minimum requirement.

But the minister said she was convinced the reinstated rule would not be abused by the 470 councillors who started their new term on January 1 as new guidelines required they attend at least 80 per cent of meetings.

Councillors should also keep their offices open at least 40 hours a week, with at least 10 per cent of that time falling on weekday evenings, weekends and public holidays, according to the guidelines.

Sai Kung district council was one of the municipal-level bodies that abolished the rule allowing proxy voting in 2016 after members reached a consensus, according to then chairman George Ng Sze-fuk.