Hong Kong’s new pro-democracy winners in district council polls struggling to set up ward offices amid high rents, as some consider table at MTR exit or cargo containers
- Government allowances do not cover expenses for some political novices who lack party resources or are in constituencies notorious for high rents
- In Central and Western district, at least four out of 15 councillors-elect have failed to find an affordable ward office for their new term
Camille Yam Ka-yi’s victory over one of the longest-serving veterans in Hong Kong’s recent district council elections may have been unexpected, but where she intends to set up shop for her new term is even more surprising – outside an MTR exit on Bonham Road in Mid-Levels.
“I will set up a table and a stool on the pavement to meet my constituents every day,” the nurse and part-time student at the University of Hong Kong said.
The 27-year-old has become a rising star in politics after defeating Stephen Chan Chit-kwai, a seasoned pro-establishment councillor who had handled district affairs for 28 years.
But Yam, who would officially assume duty on Wednesday, is only one of the many pro-democracy novices struggling to secure a ward office in their own constituencies following the camp’s landslide victory in November.
