Key facts
- Rita Fan suggested reviewing the number of seats in Hong Kong's Legislative Council to cut costs.
- Fan mentioned past discussions about developing a border plot with Shenzhen before 1997.
- Hong Kong's Legislative Council concluded its four-year term last week.
- The legislature passed 130 bills and rejected one during its term.
- The upcoming election will fill 90 seats in the expanded LegCo.
- The electoral system was overhauled in 2021 to ensure only 'patriots' hold power.
Hong Kong's first Legislative Council president, Rita Fan, has suggested reviewing the number of seats in the city's legislature to ensure the proper use of public funds. Fan made the remarks on Sunday during a radio appearance, also recalling discussions with Shenzhen authorities before the 1997 handover about developing a border plot that ultimately failed due to internal government opposition.
The comments come as Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) concludes its four-year term. The legislature, operating under a 'patriots-only' system since Beijing's 2021 electoral overhaul, has been criticized for a perceived lack of political diversity and for becoming a 'rubber-stamp' body. During its term, the LegCo passed 130 bills, with only one, the Registration of Same-sex Partnership Bill, being voted down. The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, also known as 'Article 23', was among the bills unanimously passed.
Chief Executive John Lee has praised the current LegCo for its efficiency and adherence to 'executive-led governance and patriots ruling Hong Kong,' contrasting it with the pre-2021 legislature where opposition lawmakers often engaged in filibustering. Legislative Council President Andrew Leung defended the body, pointing to the veto of the same-sex partnership bill as evidence that lawmakers are not merely rubber-stamping government proposals.
A total of 153 hopefuls are vying for 90 seats in the expanded LegCo in an upcoming December election, following a vetting process by a committee to screen for national security risks. Many of the city's mainstream opposition parties are not participating in the race, citing the poll's design as stifling dissent. The new term for the 90 lawmakers will begin in January.