a "retrogression of democracy" while Chan Kam-lam of the pro-Beijing DAB claimed that "elections were divisive and appointments would stabilise the community". Also on 1 July, elements of the Urban Council Ordinance and Regional Council Ordinance were repealed to allow the government to determine the composition and tenure of the councils. After the Handover, the council was disbanded and replaced with the Provisional Urban Council, which comprised pre-Handover councillors plus new members appointed by the new government. The same was done with the Regional Council. The government then announced that the councils would be abolished in 1999. Both councils jointly objected to this plan, putting forward an alternative merger proposal entitled "One Council, One Department", which was not accepted by the government. Both councils were dissolved on 31 December 1999 as planned. Within days of the dissolution of the Urban Council, its distinctive symbol was systematically removed from public sight, such as by pasting over it with paper on all litter bins and information boards. Shortly afterwards, all the litter bins were themselves discarded, replaced by a similar design, but in green rather than purple. Although the government had promised that some powers and duties of the Urban Council and Regional Council would be passed to the District Councils, in fact all were taken up by two newly created government departments: the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, along with the Home Affairs Department. The archives of the two municipal councils are held by the Hong Kong Public Libraries, and are available online in digitised form. Lists of Chairmen Before 1973, the chairmanship was occupied by the Director of Urban Services: A. de O. Sales, 1973–1981 Hilton Cheong-Leen, 1981–1986 H.M.G. Forsgate, 1986-1991 Ronald Leung Ding-bong, 1991–1999 See also Regional Council (Hong Kong) Taiwan Provincial Council References Footnotes Citations Sources External links Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Leisure and Cultural Services Department Politics of Hong Kong History of Hong Kong Waste management in Hong Kong