Home affairs minister Alice Mak on Monday said the government will soon announce how it will monitor district councillors’ performance.

The monitoring mechanism was introduced when the electoral system was reformed earlier this year. Under the new system, authorities could probe councillors who "fail to meet public expectations".

Mak said the guidelines – to be unveiled before year's end – will include negative behaviour such as obstructing and insulting others at a meeting, blocking others from entering or leaving a meeting venue, and failing to declare interests.

The minister also told the Sing Tao Daily newspaper that while this year's elections are more competitive than in the past, candidates are no longer shouting at one another and they need to improve their platforms in order to draw people's attention.

When asked whether the government would appoint defeated candidates in the poll, Mak stressed officials would pick people for appointed seats based on their abilities, their familiarity with district needs, and whether or not they are patriotic.

Separately, she said the councils will need to collect district-level views on matters, including Article 23 national security legislation and the waste levy.