The Islands District Council (noted as Island) is the district council for the Islands District in Hong Kong. It is one of 18 such councils. The Islands District currently consists of 18 members, of which the district is divided into 10 constituencies, electing a total of 10 with 8 ex-officio members who is the Peng Chau, Lamma North, Tung Chung, Lamma South, Tai O, Lantau South, Mui Wo and Cheung Chau rural committee chairmen. The latest election was held on 24 November 2019.
History
The Islands District Council was established on 1 April 1981 under the name of the Islands District Board as the result of the colonial Governor Murray MacLehose's District Administration Scheme reform. The District Board was partly elected with the ex-officio Regional Council members and chairmen of eight Rural Committees, Peng Chau, Lamma North, Tung Chung, Lamma South, Tai O, Lantau South, Mui Wo and Cheung Chau, as well as members appointed by the Governor until 1994 when last Governor Chris Patten refrained from appointing any member.
The Islands District Board became the Islands Provisional District Board after the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was established in 1997 with the appointment system being reintroduced by Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa. The current Islands District Council was established on 1 January 2000 after the first District Council election in 1999. The appointed seats were abolished in 2015 after the modified constitutional reform proposal was passed by the Legislative Council in 2010.
The Islands District Council has the most number of eight ex-officio seats and is dominated by the rural forces. As the Tung Chung new town was developed in the early 2000s, some political parties have also successfully made attempts in those areas, notably Tang Ka-piu of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) in Yat Tung Estate North and Holden Chow of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) in Tung Chung South. Amy Yung Wing-sheung of the pro-democracy Civic Party has also held Discovery Bay since 2000.
In the historic landslide victory in 2019 election, Islands District Council became the only council where pro-democrats gained the majority of the elected seats but failed to take control of the council due to the 8 ex-officio seats. However, the pro-democrats got 7 of the 10 elected seats and ousted DAB legislator Holden Chow for District Council (Second) from his seat.
Political control Since 1982 political control of the council has been held by the following parties: Camp in control Largest party Years Composition No Overall Control None 1982 - 1985 Pro-government None 1985 - 1988 Pro-government None 1988 - 1991 Pro-government None 1991 - 1994 Pro-Beijing DAB 1994 - 1997 Pro-Beijing DAB 1997 - 1999 Pro-Beijing DAB 2000 - 2003 Pro-Beijing DAB 2004 - 2007 Pro-Beijing DAB 2008 - 2011 Pro-Beijing DAB 2012 - 2015 Pro-Beijing DAB 2016 - 2019 Pro-Beijing Civic → DAB 2020 - 2023 Pro-Beijing Independent 2024 - 2027
Political makeup
Elections are held every four years. Political party Council members Currentmembers 1994 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 Independent 4 5 4 3 3 2 6 Civic - - - 2 1 1 2 DAB 2 2 4 4 4 3 1 Democratic 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
District result maps
Members represented
Leadership Chairs Since 1985, the chairman is elected by all the members of the board: Chairman Years Political Affiliation Fok Siu-tung 1981 District Officer Ricky Fung 1981–1983 District Officer William Yap 1983–1985 District Officer Daniel Lam Wai-keung 1985–2011 Heung Yee Kuk Chow Yuk-tong 2012–2019 Heung Yee Kuk Randy Yu Hon-kwan 2020–2023 Heung Yee KukAmy Yeung Wai-sum2024–presentDistrict Officer
Vice Chairs Vice Chairman Years Political Affiliation Chau Chuen-heung 2000–2015 DAB Randy Yu Hon-kwan 2016–2019 Heung Yee Kuk Wong Man-hon 2020–2023 Heung Yee Kuk
Notes
References