Latest news with #Legco
South China Morning Post
23-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously approve bill for tougher misconduct penalties
Hong Kong lawmakers have unanimously given the green light for a bill that will expand the scope of financial penalties targeting legislators suspended for misconduct, as part of efforts to better monitor their performance. Eighty-eight lawmakers on Wednesday voted for the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill during a 36-minute session that included speeches from four legislators and Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki. The amendment will allow Legco to withhold pay and allowances from suspended lawmakers for reasons other than those specified in the existing Rules of Procedure. 'This is precisely another example of Legco strengthening its self-governance with higher standards. It fully reflects the strong advantages of the 'patriots administering Hong Kong' principle,' said Chan, the city's No 2 official. '[The new rules] will help lawmakers perform their duties more efficiently, enhance the efficiency and transparency of the council, and allow Legco to better perform its constitutional duties.' All 89 of the city's legislators attended the meeting. All of them gave a green light to the amendment, with the exception of Legco President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, who typically abstains from voting to maintain impartiality. The new rules will take effect when the new Legco term starts on January 1, next year.
South China Morning Post
21-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Legco poll to use electronic vote counting for trade seats for first time
Electronic ballot counting will be used in Hong Kong's Legislative Council election for the first time for the 30 trade-based seats, with lawmakers calling for greater adoption of advanced technology to improve voter turnout. But legislators heard on Monday that the technology would not be deployed for the 20 directly elected geographical constituency seats, as paper ballots and hand counting would continue to be used. At a Legco panel meeting, some lawmakers urged authorities to step up the use of technology to make casting ballots more convenient and encourage people to vote. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said 'many factors' affected voter turnout and it was 'impractical to set rigid indicators'. 'But it does not mean we do not care about voter turnout,' he said. 'Through more explanation and publicity, we hope the public will understand that taking part in elections is closely related to the steady progress of the 'one country, two systems' governing principle and the well-being of the public.'
RTHK
21-07-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
'E-counting system to be used for Legco election'
'E-counting system to be used for Legco election' Erick Tsang said the e-counting system will be deployed to enhance efficiency. Photo: RTHK An electronic counting system will be used for functional constituency ballots in the upcoming Legislative Council general election, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang said. This came as the Registration and Electoral Office revealed that the budget for the election, to be held on December 7, would be HK$1.2 billion. Another HK$200 million would be needed for the Election Committee subsector by-elections on September 7. Speaking at a meeting of the Legco constitutional affairs panel on Monday, Tsang said the government attaches great importance to the two elections. The government will adopt optimising measures, including the implementation of an e-counting system for the Legco election's functional constituency ballots to boost efficiency, he said. Procurement of the system has been completed, he added, and testing work is under way. 'As this is a new system, to ensure the vote counting process will not encounter any error or impedance, we will formulate different backup plans," Tsang said. "Besides the main counting system, we have a backup system. If the main system fails, we will activate the backup system immediately. Only when both systems fail will we fall back on manual counting. 'Frankly speaking, the probability of both systems encountering a failure is very low, but still, it can happen, so we will still make a backup plan.' Tsang also said the government hopes to increase voter turnout through promotional work. But he said it would be 'unrealistic' to set a target for the voting rate.
RTHK
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- RTHK
Lawmakers suggest tweaks to ride-hailing plan
Lawmakers suggest tweaks to ride-hailing plan A Legco panel heard that taxi drivers are concerned about their rivals undercutting them by providing customers with steep discounts. File photo: RTHK A majority of lawmakers at a Legco transport panel meeting on Friday backed the government's plan to license ride-hailing operators, although some called for changes. The government wants to introduce a licensing system for ride-hailing platforms, their drivers and the vehicles used. Transport sector lawmaker Frankie Yick said taxi drivers are concerned about their rivals undercutting them by providing customers with steep discounts. "Taxi regulations prohibit fare-cutting to attract customers, so discounts like 20 percent off are actually illegal. However, if platforms can offer cheaper services, it explains why the taxi industry is so agitated," he said. "Some platforms charge HK$20 for a ride that should cost HK$80, leaving taxi drivers feeling helpless." Gary Zhang said the proposed age limit for vehicles is too lenient. "In other cities with ride-hailing regulations, such as Shanghai, Shenzhen and London, the typical age limit is around three to five years. Our initial regulation of seven years could potentially allow vehicles to be on the road for over a decade, which I think is too lenient for Hong Kong's situation," he said. Chan Pui-leung, meanwhile, noted that while the government has proposed a limit on the number of vehicles that can be given a licence for ride-hailing services, it is not suggesting a limit on the number of drivers that can use them. He also expressed concern that some vehicle owners might secure a licence under the quota system but then not offer any services. Chan suggested a vehicle owner should lose their ride-hailing licence if they don't provide a minimum number of journeys. Transport Secretary Mable Chan said it is hoped the licensing requirements will eliminate market uncertainty and allow the taxi sector and ride-hailing services to coexist and develop smoothly. "The government's proposed framework for regulating online ride-hailing services puts the interests of citizens first. Our goal is to make citizens safer when travelling, with more choices and better point-to-point transportation services," she said.
South China Morning Post
16-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong lawmakers urged to be impartial when reviewing same-sex partnership bill
A senior Hong Kong official has called on lawmakers to be 'pragmatic, rational and impartial' when scrutinising a bill aimed at granting certain legal rights to same-sex couples after most major political parties voiced opposition to the legislation. Advertisement Introducing the bill for its first and second readings in the legislature on Wednesday, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai stressed that the proposed framework was a 'reasonable balance' between fulfilling the basic societal needs of same-sex couples and preserving the heterosexual marriage system. 'The government understands that the bill is controversial,' he said in the Legislative Council. 'But to safeguard Hong Kong's rule of law, respect the court's ruling and fulfil our duties, the government introduced the bill with a spirit of accountability and courage. 'We hope lawmakers will be pragmatic, rational and impartial in scrutinising the bill.' Same-sex marriage is not permitted in Hong Kong. The Registration of Same-sex Partnerships Bill is aimed at granting same-sex couples married abroad certain rights related to medical matters and after-death arrangements following a landmark ruling from the top court in 2023. Advertisement As of Wednesday, at least 35 members of the 89-strong Legco told the Post they would oppose the bill, including those from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the Liberal Party.
