Under the proposed revamp, should appointed councillors be unpaid, like most government advisers? Stepping back from such questions, practical measures can be introduced to improve governance at the district level, to build better communities.
Constitutional affairs chief Erick Tsang defends decision to slash number of directly elected district council seats from nearly 95 per cent to 19 per cent under overhaul.
The liaison office’s intentional overreach sends a powerful message to pro-establishment bodies. The central government no longer trusts the middlemen who were once its eyes and ears in Hong Kong – now it is gauging public sentiment directly.