District Councils (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 comes into effect in HKSAR

HONG KONG, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The District Councils (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 came into effect on Monday after being published in the Gazette in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

In order to put an end to the chaos of the sixth term of district councils (DCs), restore the DCs to the right track, and improve the efficacy of district governance, the HKSAR government announced on May 2 the proposals on improving district governance.

The ordinance, passed by the Legislative Council of the HKSAR on Thursday, aims to implement the proposed reform of DCs in the proposals.

Reforming the DCs is an integral part of improving district governance. With the commencement of the ordinance, the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" is fully implemented institutionally, said a spokesperson of the HKSAR government.

The DCs will return to their original positioning under the Basic Law of the HKSAR, perform their services and advisory functions, and support the HKSAR government in district work. The efficacy of district governance would be enhanced, thereby achieving good governance and enhancing Hong Kong residents' sense of happiness and satisfaction, said the spokesperson.

The HKSAR government will take forward the work relating to the constitution of the new term of DCs in accordance with the law, including the appointment of appointed members, related preparation work for the election, and the promulgation of appropriate guidelines for the operation of DCs and the performance-monitoring mechanism for DC members.

The goal is to constitute the new term of DCs on Jan. 1, 2024, to serve the public.