Direct election of Hong Kong district councillors could overlook ‘professional’ candidates hesitant to run, minister says

The popular vote is not necessarily the best way to select Hong Kong’s public representatives, the city’s constitutional affairs chief has said, arguing such a system overlooked “professional” and “patriotic” candidates reluctant to run for election.

The city had many professionals who wished to serve the community but had shied away from competing in elections, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai on Saturday said in defence of an overhaul of the city’s district councils.

The new system, announced on Tuesday, drastically slashed the number of directly elected seats on the municipal-level bodies from nearly 95 per cent to 19 per cent, with the rest to either be appointed by the city leader or picked by the 2,490 members of three committees stacked with Beijing loyalists.

Addressing concerns over the revamp on a radio programme on Saturday, Tsang said authorities hoped the new emphasis on appointing district councillors would encourage more people to take part in the organisations.

“Many people have said the proposal is a big step backwards for democracy or returning to ground zero, but we have already stressed that it is a move made in light of the changing circumstances, with a goal of boosting governance,” he said.

“Actually direct election also has its limitations as the system can only return those who run in elections. There are many professionals or patriotic people who aspire to serve society out there who may not opt to run in elections.”

Under an electoral system, such people could be overlooked despite having the potential to be “very helpful to the community”, the minister argued.

Hong Kong not legally required to set up district councils, justice minister says

Asked if the changes would negatively affect voter turnout for district council elections, Tsang said such things depended on a variety of factors, including candidates’ campaign platforms, the social atmosphere and even the weather.

He also vowed that the government would do its part to encourage voters to show up for the polls.

Authorities earlier argued the revamp was intended to get district councils back on the “right track” and to avoid a repeat of the “chaos” that followed a landslide victory by opposition candidates at the height of the anti-government protests in 2019.

However, some political scientists said the new district council composition was more conservative than in 1982, when they were first introduced, and could create an echo chamber.

How will Hong Kong’s district council overhaul change neighbourhood political life?

Several ministers were out in force on Saturday to defend the plan, with Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen brushing aside suggestions that local residents would find it more difficult to raise neighbourhood concerns after the number of constituencies was slashed from 452 to 44, with each only returning two directly-elected representatives.

The minister pointed out that the number of total district councillors had not shrunk, insisting representatives would work alongside other stakeholders to serve the public.

A day earlier, Hong Kong’s pro-establishment bloc launched a publicity drive promoting the overhaul and welcomed various officers visiting their street booths.