After experiencing the "resignation wave" in the middle of the year and taking oaths in recent months, the members of the 14 district councils in Hong Kong have less than half of them.
The Legislative Council Home Affairs Committee will hold a special meeting tomorrow (20th) to revise the implementation arrangements for the community participation plan and the district minor works plan. The two plans originally required to be approved by the District Council will be replaced by the Home Affairs Department, the Home Affairs Department and The Leisure and Cultural Services Department is responsible for funding.
However, Zhou Xianming, Chairman of the Sai Kung District Council, submitted a submission to the Legislative Council today (19), emphasizing that under the District Councils Ordinance, the vacancy of seats does not affect the power of the District Council to handle affairs, and the effectiveness of the District Council’s procedures will not be affected. Affected by vacancies in the seats.
He asked the authorities to continue to provide relevant funding to the Saigon District Council so that the District Council will undertake related affairs and community activities in accordance with the law.
The Secretary for Home Affairs, Xu Yingwei, is responsible for handling oaths by district councillors.
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The Government put forward justifications for this amendment, saying that the arrangements of the two existing plans have lapsed in accordance with the situation of the district boards. Considering that some district boards cannot elect the chairman, some citizens may think that the welfare of the community is left to the decision of the very few remaining district board members. There is a lack of fairness, but the government believes that the relevant projects should be implemented as scheduled, so it has proposed that the IACM, the District Office of Home Affairs and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department should be responsible for the funding.
Zhou Xianming wrote to the Home Affairs Committee of the Legislative Council, citing government documents that the government reviewed the role and functions of district councils in 2006, and then allocated more resources to implement community participation plans and district minor works plans. In the past many years, districts, The district councils are responsible for proposing activities and reviewing funding applications, while government officials and departments are responsible for approving and using funding, emphasizing that the mechanism has been effective.
The Civil Affairs Commissioner of the Government has repeatedly pointed out in meetings that the district board agenda or certain terms of reference may not conform to the functions of the district board under the District Councils Ordinance.
(Photo/Photo by Huang Wenxuan)
Emphasize that the District Council can give advice on district projects and activities according to the ordinance
Zhou Xianming stated that the operation of district councils is based on the "District Councils Ordinance", and Article 72 of it states that the vacancy of a district council does not affect the power of the district council to handle affairs, and the effectiveness of the district council procedures will not be affected. The impact of vacancies in the district.
He also pointed out that according to section 61(a) of the District Councils Ordinance, the functions of the district councils include the use of public funds allocated to the relevant local administrative districts for the purpose of carrying out district public works and organizing community activities, and to provide opinions to the government. Therefore, the district councils The statutory right to advise the government should not be affected.
He described that it is the government's right and responsibility to let the district councils undertake environmental improvement affairs, recreational and cultural activities, and community activities in the local administrative area in accordance with the regulations.
Zhou Xianming calls for by-election as soon as possible Xu Yingwei once said that the government has no intention of by-election
At the end of the article, Zhou Xianming said that due to the large number of vacancies in the district councils and the current district councils have more than two years of office, he called on the government to respect the mechanism and conduct by-elections as soon as possible.
However, in August this year, when the Secretary for Home Affairs, Xu Yingwei, attended a radio program, he said that the government had no intention of by-election of district councillors for the time being. At that time, he even called on citizens in need to directly seek help from government departments, and said that it was time to study and review the future districts. Administrative development.
Chung Kam-lin resigns as chairman of the Sai Kung District Council, General Chang Sheng, General Zhou Xianming, to take over: I hope to walk side by side with the resignation wave of district councillors | Lam Cheng: There is no possibility of a by-election before June next year. Council by-election believes that the future operation of the government has been considered to suspend the appropriation authority of this session of the District Council. 800 million yuan will be returned to the Civil Affairs Department.
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