The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government recently announced proposals to improve governance at the district level by reforming district councils (DCs). The proposals adhere to three guiding principles: Giving top priority to national security; fully implementing the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”; and fully practicing executive-led governance. Under the guidance of these principles, it is envisaged that DCs can be depoliticized and restored to nonpolitical organs focusing on livelihood issues, as stipulated in the Basic Law.
Article 97 of the Basic Law stipulates, “District organizations which are not organs of political power may be established in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, to be consulted by the government of the Region on district administration and other affairs, or to be responsible for providing services in such fields as culture, recreation and environmental sanitation.” This provides the legal basis for the operation of DCs.
By implementing the proposals on improving district governance and reforming DCs, the HKSAR is on the right path of restoring DCs to their orginal role as district consultative organs that focus on promoting district development and community harmony.
Regrettably, DCs were hijacked by anti-China agitators through the 2019 District Council Elections and turned into platforms for advocating and conducting activities that threatened national security. The majority of DCs were transformed into political organs in violation of Article 97 of the Basic Law, failing to perform their statutory function as district consultative bodies tasked to help improve the livelihoods of local residents. While promulgation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong has effectively stopped anti-China agitators from infiltrating the special administrative region’s governance institutions, loopholes in the election system for DCs still allow agitators to infiltrate DCs, thus preventing them from performing their original function.
To ensure DCs restore their original function in conformity with Article 97 of the Basic Law, the DC reform plan includes the introduction of an eligibility review mechanism to ensure that all DC members are patriots who vow to safeguard national security, uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR. This mechanism is crucial to the process of depoliticizing DCs, which in turn helps DCs to shift their focus back to improving the livelihoods of residents. With the “patriots administering Hong Kong” principle in full force, it is believed that DCs can revert to “organs not of political power” in compliance with Article 97 of the Basic Law, performing their statutory function as district consultative bodies focusing on providing services in such fields as culture, recreation and environmental sanitation.
Furthermore, after the proposed reforms are implemented, the composition of DC members will be broadened and optimized, achieving a far more balanced representation so that the voices and needs of different stakeholders at the district level can be reflected more comprehensively. The broadened composition of DCs is also conducive to facilitating the participation of patriots with diversified backgrounds, ranging from professionals to young people who are dedicated to district services. Ultimately, the public can benefit tremendously from diversified representation and have their concerns better reflected and addressed in a timely manner.
In conclusion, by implementing the proposals on improving district governance and reforming DCs, the HKSAR is on the right path of restoring DCs to their orginal role as district consultative organs that focus on promoting district development and community harmony. It is believed that with the completion of the DC reform, district-level governance will be greatly improved, contributing to the smooth implementation of “one country, two systems”.
The author is a member of the Central and Western District Youth Development and Civic Education Committee.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
