Extraordinary steps: Hong Kong Christians to ask faithful whether to give up their seats on body picking city’s chief executive

First-of-its-kind consultation set for April 17 to gauge followers’ views on whether to maintain presence on election committee or boycott the poll

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News of the planned consultation came a day after the Most Reverend Paul Kwong, head of the local Anglican flock, said it would be irresponsible for Christians to vacate their election committee seats. Photo: Edward Wong

Published: 7:11pm, 29 Mar 2016Updated: 9:16pm, 29 Mar 2016

Hong Kong’s Protestant churches will invite opinion from all their followers for the first time on whether to give up their seats on the body determining who is to be the city’s chief executive from 2017.

The revelation from Reverend Po Kam-cheong, general secretary of the Christian Council, came a day after Hong Kong Anglican archbishop Paul Kwong told the Post it could be “irresponsible” for Protestants to give up their seats on the Election Committee, as some of them might be interested in the posts.

In 2012, Leung was elected with 689 votes from the 1,200-strong committee comprising business elites, professionals and 10 representatives from each of the city’s six major religions.

‘That’s irresponsible’: Hong Kong’s top Anglican rejects calls to give up Christian seats on body electing city’s chief executive

Leung’s victory came months after the council – an umbrella group of 21 churches, denominations and societies – organised a poll in which about 17,000 Protestants elected 10 representatives to sit on the committee.

In recent months, a group of Protestants, led by Democratic Party member Lam Tsz-kin, has been calling for the 10 seats to be vacated as a way to protest against the lack of a direct election for the city’s chief executive.

Po yesterday said the council would hold a public consultation session on April 17 at Morrison Memorial Centre in Mong Kok to gauge followers’ opinions.

“The 200 participants will be divided into groups ... and the council’s executive committee members will listen to their views,” he said.