Hong Kong’s lawmakers-elect have called for more exchanges with senior officials before policy formulation as they welcomed the first sharing session on Thursday, saying it signalled that the government valued ties with the legislature.
About 70 of the 90 newly elected lawmakers joined the 1½-hour exchange with top government officials, including three secretaries and other bureau chiefs, focusing on two topics: the executive-legislature relationship and Hong Kong’s economic development.
Lawmaker-elect Chris Ip Ngo-tung said the exchange was the first of its kind for legislators before they started their four-year term.
“For a newcomer to the legislature, I was told the exchange has never been done before for lawmakers-elect. It shows the government values the new Legco,” he said.
Hong Kong concluded its second “patriots-only” Legislative Council election on December 7, with 161 candidates competing for the 90 seats. The election drew a 31.9 per cent voter turnout, slightly above the 30.2 per cent recorded four years ago.
The elected lawmakers will begin their four-year term on January 1, 2026.
