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Expanding the Executive Council and the Commission on Strategic Development
15. To achieve strong governance, the Government needs to secure a broader and firmer support base. I will increase the membership of both the Executive Council and the Commission on Strategic Development. And, I will rejuvenate the membership of advisory boards and statutory bodies to harvest the experience of leaders in their fields and provide them with an opportunity to play a greater role in the different levels of leadership of the SAR.
16. The Executive Council assists the Chief Executive in his decision making. I have decided to increase the number of Non-official Members in the Council. To allow more time and opportunities for Non-official Members to express their views and to put forward proposals, only the top three Principal Officials and I will attend all Council meetings as Official Members. Other Official Members can opt to attend only when items on the agenda concern their portfolios. The Non-official Members will have more opportunities to participate at an earlier stage of policy making, and will be able to focus on individual policy areas through division of labour. They will also play a more active role in assisting the Government to explain and promote policies to the public, and to enhance communication between the Government and different sectors of the community. I believe an expanded Executive Council will bring about significant improvements to our governance.
17. The Commission on Strategic Development, chaired by the Chief Executive, was established in 1998 to explore the way forward for Hong Kong's long-term development strategies. I look upon the Commission as our most important advisory body. I will substantially expand its membership to around 100 by inviting talent from different fields. It will provide a platform for all sectors of the community to explore with the Government major issues pertaining to our long-term development. The Commission will be able to gauge a wide range of community views to help forge a consensus on important issues, thereby laying the foundation for formulating specific policies. The Commission's work will help make policy formulation more scientific and transparent, backed up by enhanced public participation and acceptance. To improve operational efficiency, three panels will be set up under the Commission to study political, economic and social development. The Central Policy Unit will provide research and secretariat support to the Commission.
18. At present, the Government has a few hundred advisory boards and statutory bodies. They serve as important partners in achieving effective governance. We attach great importance to the work they do. We see them as think tanks for public policies and channels for our people to participate in public affairs. When current members' terms expire, we will actively seek to bring in more people from different sectors. They will be able to participate and give play to their talent in helping the Government take the public pulse and improve governance. I will pay particular attention to the participation of women, young people and the disadvantaged.
Enhancing Work in Districts
19. It is essential that public policies are effectively implemented at the district level. To better respond to the demands of the people, the Government will strengthen the role of District Officers (DOs). We will enhance the co-ordination function of District Management Committees to better provide cross-departmental services in districts. I will issue internal guidelines asking all government departments to better complement the work of DOs with a view to raising the capacity to resolve problems, deal with issues concerning people's livelihood, strengthen community building, and promote community and charity work at the district level.
20. The role of the District Councils will be expanded. The Government will allow each District Council to assume responsibility for the management of some district facilities, such as libraries, community halls, leisure grounds, sports venues and swimming pools. The executive departments will follow the decisions of the District Council in managing such facilities, within the limits of their existing statutory powers and resources available. I have asked the working party under the Home Affairs Bureau and the Constitutional Affairs Bureau to work out an implementation plan for this proposal in the context of the on-going review of the functions and structure of the District Councils. The working party will seek the views of District Council members in making its recommendations. The formal public consultation on the review will commence in the first quarter of next year. We will continue to make available more channels for the public to participate in the management of district affairs.
21. The Heung Yee Kuk is an important statutory, traditional organisation on New Territories affairs. It has preserved its fine traditional values, promoted the well-being of villagers and fostered cohesion in rural communities in the face of rapid modernisation. In seeking to protect the legitimate traditional interests of indigenous villagers, the Kuk must be sensitive to the concerns of the broader population in major townships. The Government cherishes the valuable functions and contributions of the Kuk and will vigorously forge a stronger partnership with it.
Reorganising the Chief Executive's Office
22. The Chief Executive plays a pivotal role in achieving effective governance. To discharge my duties properly, I have decided to reorganise the Chief Executive's Office. The Director of the Chief Executive's Office will continue to be a political appointment, responsible for liaison with the Legislative Council, the Commission on Strategic Development, political organisations, various sectors and district personalities. An additional post of Permanent Secretary will be required for internal management, including co-ordination with the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, the Financial Secretary's Office, bureaux and departments; liaison with the Executive Council; keeping track of the implementation of major policies; and ensuring that the directives of the Chief Executive are followed through. There will also be an Information Co-ordinator who will be responsible for the Government's overall public relations strategies, co-ordinating publicity on the introduction of major policies, strengthening communication with the media, and enhancing the dissemination of information.
Constitutional Development
23. As stipulated in the Basic Law, our constitutional development should be taken forward in a gradual and orderly manner towards the ultimate objective of universal suffrage in the light of the actual situation in Hong Kong. For more than a year, the Constitutional Development Task Force has been actively seeking the views of different sectors and maintaining communication with the relevant departments of the Central Authorities on how to amend the methods for selecting the Chief Executive in 2007 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2008. The Task Force's Fifth Report, to be published later, will contain a package of proposals on how to amend the two methods. In drawing up the package, the Task Force has been guided by a number of principles. The proposals must comply with the Basic Law and the Interpretation and Decision made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in April 2004; give the public more say and more channels to participate in the Chief Executive and Legislative Council elections, in order to achieve enhanced representativeness of the two elections; and abide by the principle of gradual and orderly progress towards the ultimate goal of universal suffrage.
24. I firmly believe that the proposed methods will mark a key milestone in the development of democracy in Hong Kong. I sincerely hope they will receive support from this Council and the community at large. I also sincerely hope that in the overall and long-term interests of Hong Kong, Honourable Members of this Council will, in debating the proposed methods, strive to seek common ground while accommodating differences and reach a consensus, so that Hong Kong's constitutional development can move forward.
25. While moving forward steadily and purposefully with constitutional development, we must continue to improve on our administrative system. The Accountability System for Principal Officials has been in place for more than three years. It has proved to be more responsive to public needs and aspirations as well as a necessary reform in the path of constitutional development towards universal suffrage in Hong Kong. Generally, the community has accepted the Accountability System and looks forward to further consolidation and improvement. The most pressing need at the moment is to strengthen support for the Principal Officials to undertake growing political work related to formulation and implementation of policies, actively reach out to various social sectors and seek wider and more solid public support for the Government. Consequently, we will consider creating within our executive agencies a small number of positions dedicated to political affairs. Their main duty will be to support the Chief Executive and the Principal Officials in their political work. This will provide a new channel for people with political aspirations to join the Government to realise their ambitions. It will also allow civil servants aspiring to a political career to leave the civil service to take part in politics. I must reiterate here that the creation of this political cadre should never undermine the politically neutral civil service in any way. The civil service remains the backbone of the SAR Government, and of effective governance. It is clean, efficient and accountable with outstanding professionalism and prestige. We must safeguard the integrity and interests of the civil service system. In working out the plans for this new political cadre, we shall enhance communication and consultation with the civil service. I am well aware that some members of the public and civil service are wary of the proposed creation of these political posts. I propose to release a consultation document in the first half of 2006 to canvass views from a broad spectrum of society, including civil servants, with a view to receiving popular support for the final arrangements.
26. Improved governance requires not only the efforts of the SAR Government, but also the participation of people in community affairs as masters of the territory. We will open up opportunities for participation and encourage members of the public to become involved in politics. The increased number of Non-official Members on the Executive Council, the expansion of the membership of the Commission on Strategic Development, the revamping of advisory boards and statutory bodies, the opening of channels for participation in district affairs, improvements to the electoral systems for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council, and the enhancement of the Accountability System embody the sincerity and solid efforts of the Government to nurture political talent. Our goal is to progressively develop a system for political participation at various levels and through different channels. In particular, we seek to provide opportunities for those with political aspirations to hone their skills through participating in Government work and to establish a clear career path for aspiring politicians.
(To be continued)
Ends/Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Issued at HKT 11:25
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