Hong Kong’s legislature plans to amend its rules to require lawmakers to attend meetings, take part in votes and regularly submit work reports.
Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen announced the proposal on Friday, with an aim to implement the changes in the legislature’s next term.
“It is the appropriate time for us to undertake several reviews on how we could raise the efficiency of our council, adhere to the needs of residents, raise the transparency and accountability of our council,” said Leung, who was flanked by several veteran lawmakers.
He explained that Legco was working on a new code for legislators, building on the existing rules of procedure. The update aims to improve monitoring of lawmakers’ performance, including their behavior, conduct and work standards.
The proposed requirements include attending meetings, taking part in votes, maintaining contact with different sectors of society and regularly submitting work reports.
“In terms of voting and meeting attendance, we would not have any key performance indicators, but we would remind legislators that attending meetings and the Legislative Council is their primary work, they must put effort in attending meetings and voting” he said.
Leung added that the mechanism for lawmakers to declare their personal interests would be refined, while a disciplinary mechanism for inappropriate behaviour by legislators would also be introduced.
