A by-election for the Tai Po District Council seat vacated by Peggy Wong Pik-kiu on health grounds will depend on actual circumstances, said Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen.
Wong's resignation followed controversy over alleged proxy votes before last year's tragic Wang Fuk Court fire, and over her absence from council meetings citing health issues.
Speaking on Sunday morning, Mak confirmed receiving Wong's resignation a day before, but declined to disclose further details.
Under the newly introduced performance monitoring mechanism for the District Council, she said Wong had provided doctors' certificates for her absences from meetings.
Turning to the proxy vote allegations at the Wang Fuk Court owners' meetings, she indicated that the authorities had referred the case to law enforcement for follow-up.
When asked whether a by-election would be held to fill Wong's vacancy, Mak noted that it would be handled according to the District Councils Ordinance based on practical circumstances.
She added that the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau is preparing three major elections next year, and any decision would hinge on urgency.
Wong, a long-standing member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, had served on the Tai Po District Council for more than 20 years.
It is understood that she also resigned from her duties on the Tai Po South Area Committee and as captain of the Tai Po Kwong Fuk and Plover Cove subdistrict care team.
