Hong Kong’s Democratic Party urges government to listen to ‘diverse views’ ahead of Policy Address
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong’s opposition Democratic Party has urged the government to listen to diverse public opinions ahead of the annual Policy Address set to be delivered in October.
The pro-democracy political party is one of few remaining opposition groups in Hong Kong. Most have disbanded since Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020 under which prominent opposition figures have been jailed.
The party said on Sunday it had submitted 60 suggestions covering areas such as politics, human rights, economy, and welfare ahead of Chief Executive John Lee’s third Policy Address next month.
It proposed that the government cease civil service expansion in the face of economic woes. Hong Kong logged an estimated HK$139 billion deficit in 2022-23 and HK$101 billion in 2023-24.
“When the economy is bad and residents are feeling the pressures, does it look good if the government continues to expand its civil service?” Democratic Party Chairperson Lo Kin-hei said in Cantonese during a press conference on Sunday. “I think the government should stop hiring and review the various pay grades, to see if there are positions that could be cut.”
He also suggested that principal government officials cut their salaries in the spirit of experiencing the difficult times alongside residents, according to local media reports.
The government had said the civil service would maintain “zero growth” this year given the prolonged fiscal deficit. In June, civil servants received a pay rise of 3 per cent.
Lo also said Hong Kong must maintain its characteristics as an international financial hub, referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to the city in 2022 to mark 25 years since it was returned from Britain to China.
“That includes safeguarding human rights and rule of law, and also the free flow of information. Residents should be able to speak their minds and make comments to the government without being worried about breaching the law,” he said.
The party also included calls for universal suffrage for the city’s leader and legislature in this year’s proposal, after such calls were omitted last year.
The welfare of inmates and legislation for the protection of sexual minorities were mentioned in the proposal, too.
Lo said his party had hoped to meet with Chief Secretary Eric Chan last week, but to no avail.
Leadership change
Separately, Lo said the current leadership of the party would finish its term at the end of the year, adding he would run for another term as chairperson.
In 2022, Lo was cleared of participating in an unlawful assembly near the Hong Kong Polytechnic University when it was besieged by police in November 2019, amid the height of the 2019 protests and unrest.
However, the Department of Justice launched an appeal against his acquittal, with the hearing set for November this year.
Lo said he believed the court proceedings would not affect the party’s leadership election, adding that the executive committee would maintain its 10-member size.
Lee previously said economic growth would be the focus of this year’s Policy Address after the enactment of a homegrown security law in March laid the groundwork for the city’s stability.
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