DAB Suggests Monitoring Bodies For Councillor Oaths

The DAB has called for committees to be set up to monitor whether district councillors are fulfilling the requirements of the oath of office they are expected to be ordered to take in the near future.

Last week, the government said it will shortly table amendments to the law that will enable the disqualification of councillors who violate their pledge of allegiance to the SAR and the Basic Law.

The DAB said it put forward its suggestion of monitoring committees during a meeting on Monday with Home Affairs Secretary Casper Tsui, who's a member of the pro-Beijing party.

The DAB also submitted a letter co-signed by all 86 pro-government district councillors demanding that the planned legal changes be made as soon as possible.

Edward Lau, a lawmaker from the party, said the home affairs minister should be in charge of the monitoring committees, and suggested they could comprise of government officials.

He also said Tsui was in agreement with the rest of the party that the government should strip councils of their power to allocate public funds.

Lau alleged that now the councils are dominated by the pro-democracy camp, they have been slow to hand out money.

Pro-democracy councillors say the problem lies with government officials who refuse to execute motions passed by councillors.