District councils of Hong Kong

District Council
Traditional Chinese	區議會
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Qūyìhuì Wade–Giles ch`ü i hui Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization kēui yi wúi Jyutping keoi1 ji3 wui2

The District Councils, formerly District Boards until 1999, are the local councils for the 18 Districts of Hong Kong. Under the supervision of Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Government, they are consultative bodies on district administration and affairs.

History

In 1982, under the governorship of Sir Murray MacLehose, the District Boards were established under the District Administration Scheme. The aim was to improve coordination of government activities in the provision of services and facilities at the district level.

After the HKSAR was established, the original District Boards became Provisional District Boards, composed of all the original members of the Boards and some members appointed thereto by the Chief Executive. (The colonial Governor had refrained from appointing any member.)

Later in early 1999 a bill was passed in the Legislative Council providing mainly for the establishment, composition and functions of the District Councils, which would replace the Provisional District Boards. The 27 ex-officio seats of Rural Committees, abolished by the colonial authorities, were reinstated. The government rejected any public survey or referendum on the issue, saying that it had been studying the issue since 1997, and had received 98 favourable submissions. The self-proclaimed pro-democracy camp dubbed the move "a setback to the pace of democracy" because it was a throwback to the colonial era.

Functions

The councils advise the Government on the following:

• matters affecting the well-being of people in the District;
• the provision and use of public facilities and services within the District;
• the adequacy and priorities of Government programmes for the District;
• the use of public funds allocated to the District for local public works and community activities; and

District Councils also undertake the following within the respective districts with its available funds allocated by the Government:

• environmental improvements;
• the promotion of recreational and cultural activities; and
• community activities

In an attempt to inject a democratic element into the Legislative Council, the colonial government introduced a model where some legislators were elected indirectly by District Council members. Twelve legislators were returned by an 'electoral college' of district councillors in 1985. The practice was repeated in 1988 and 1995. In 2010, the government proposed that five legislators be added to District Council functional constituencies, and be elected by proportional representation of elected DC members. In a politically controversial deal between the Democratic Party and the Beijing government, this was changed to allow the five seats to be elected by those members of the general electorate who did not otherwise have a functional constituency vote.

Constituencies

There are a total of 534 District Council members, of which -

• 405 are returned by direct election, each from the constituencies in the 18 districts by a "First past the post" system,
• 27 are ex-officio members (當然議員) (Rural Committee Chairmen in the New Territories), and
• 102 are appointed members by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.

Starting from the fourth District Council Election, the total number of District Council members has reduced from 534 to 507, of which -

• 412 are returned by direct election
• 27 are ex-officio members (當然議員) (Rural Committee Chairmen in the New Territories), and
• 68 are appointed members by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.

Councils

Map of District Councils

There is a district council for each of the following eighteen districts. The number in parentheses corresponds to the number shown on the map at the right.

• Hong Kong Island
  • Central and Western District (15)
  • Eastern District (16)
  • Southern District (17)
  • Wan Chai District (18)

• Kowloon (including New Kowloon)
  • Kowloon City District (10)
  • Kwun Tong District (11)
  • Sham Shui Po District (12)
  • Wong Tai Sin District (13)
  • Yau Tsim Mong District (14)

• New Territories
  • Islands District (1)
  • Kwai Tsing District (2)
  • North District (3)
  • Sai Kung District (4)
  • Sha Tin District (5)
  • Tai Po District (6)
  • Tsuen Wan District (7)
  • Tuen Mun District (8)
  • Yuen Long District (9)

Terms of office

Each term of the District Council lasts for four years. The first term began on 1 January 2000.

Under the district councillor appointment system, 102 district councillors out of 534 are picked by the Chief Executive. The remainder are democratically elected by voters in each district. In June 2010, the government announced it would make proposals on whether to scrap the system in the next Legco year, from October 2010.

Elections

District council elections, 1999

In 1999, Tung Chee Hwa appointed 100 members to the District Council. These included 41 from various political parties, namely the Liberal Party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), and the Hong Kong Progressive Alliance. No democrats was appointed.

District council elections, 2003

In 2003, Tung appointed 21 political party appointees to the District Council to dilute the influence of the pan-democrats as follows:

• eight members of the Liberal Party
• six members of the DAB
• six members from the Progressive Alliance
• one from the New Century Forum

Professor of politics and sociology at Lingnan University, Dr. Li Pang-kwong said "As in the past, most of the appointees were pro-government or persons without a clear political stance... ensur[ing] that no district council is in the hands of the democrats."

A spokesman for the democrats said the appointees "will have an unfair advantage in that they are getting financial support from the government which will help them run for office in future elections."

District council elections, 2007

In December 2007, Donald Tsang named 27 government-appointed Council members.

• thirteen members of the Liberal Party
• eleven members of the DAB
• three members from the Federation of Trade Unions

The Chief Executive was criticised for not appointing a single member of the pan-democrats in either 2003 or 2007.

District council elections, 2011

See Hong Kong district councils election, 2011.

Controversies

Prof. Li Pang-kwong, of Lingnan University, said that the problematic framework of the councils, being under the Home Affairs Bureau, has led them to work too closely with government. He cited the example of the 'copy and paste' Queen's Pier motions passed by 13 councils to support government decisions as a rubber-stamp, and a clear sign that councils lacked independence. Dr Li recalled that a similar government 'consultation' on universal suffrage in 2007, where two-thirds of the councils passed a vote in support of its position. After it was revealed that the government was behind the concerted District Councils' motions in 2008 supporting the relocation of Queen's Pier, Albert Ho condemned the government of tampering with District Councils in order to "create public opinion", and for turning District officers into propagandists.

See also

• Politics of Hong Kong
• Districts of Hong Kong
• Legislative Council of Hong Kong

References

• De Golyer, Michael (13 October 2005). Building a backbone, Commentary, The Standard.

External links

• Home page of District Councils