'District Councils Never Had Power To Allocate Funds'

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that it would be impossible for Hong Kong's district councils to be stripped of their power to allocate funds, because they have never actually had such a power.

With at least 17 councillors disqualified and hundreds having resigned in recent months, Lam said officials will consider the future of the councils once a territory-wide oath-taking exercise for members is completed on Friday.

"For example, some district councils will be left with only a couple district council members. They could not even have a chairman, no quorum, but at the same time they do have a lot of influence in allocating district council funds, or deciding on which district minor works should be undertaken with public money," the CE said before this week's Executive Council meeting.

Lam was asked whether the government will take away the councils' power to allocate funds.

"I am not in a position to tell you now what will happen, except to make it very clear that under the Basic Law as well as local legislation, district councils are not given power... district councils by themselves, they do not possess power to make decisions, to employ staff or to allocate money," she said.

"Out of respect and recognition of the representativeness of these members, we have allowed them to have a say on the use of the public money which is controlled by a public official, in the name of the director of home affairs... So it does not constitute any taking away of power."

Lam said district councils are only advisory bodies, to give advice when asked by the government.

Last year, the government told Legco that district councils are responsible for identifying projects to be implemented or sponsored, examining funding applications to ensure the use of funds meets the needs of the community, and initiating and carrying out minor works projects.