Under improved electoral system, HK votes to elect LegCo members
Print Edition
The election for the seventh-term Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region kicked off early yesterday, the first since the improvement to the HKSAR electoral system.
More than 600 polling stations opened at 8:30am across Hong Kong for about 4.5 million registered electors to cast their votes.
The membership of the seventh term of the HKSAR LegCo will increase from 70 to 90, and the members are to be elected by the Election Committee constituency (40 seats), functional constituencies (30 seats), and geographical constituencies (20 seats), respectively.
In the Election Committee constituency, 51 candidates are competing for 40 seats; in the functional constituencies, 67 candidates are competing for 30 seats; in the geographical constituencies, 35 candidates are competing for 20 seats.
HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam met the press after casting her ballot at 9am at the Raimondi College polling station.
Noting that the seventh-term LegCo election features broad representation, Lam called on the public to fulfill their civic responsibilities and vote actively for Hong Kong’s long-term peace and stability.
It is a vote of confidence for the improved electoral system and the future of the HKSAR, and will pave the way for Hong Kong’s long-term peace and stability, Lam said.
Lam recalled voting with her husband at the same polling station two years ago during the District Council election, noting that voters feared for their personal safety as Hong Kong was then rattled by violence and candidates were threatened.
In comparison, all polling stations and public transport in Hong Kong were peaceful and running smoothly yesterday, a situation that is more than encouraging, she said.
As the chief executive, Lam said she and her colleagues will cooperate fully with the newly elected LegCo members and listen to their views, so as to better reflect public opinion in administration and create a better future for Hong Kong.
“I hope this election will be fair, just, open, clean and efficient,” she said.
The polling stations are comprised of about 630 ordinary polling stations and no more than 24 dedicated polling stations. Due to border control measures over COVID-19, polling stations were also set up at the checkpoints at Heung Yuen Wai, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line. Hong Kong voters on the Chinese mainland can briefly cross into Hong Kong to cast their ballots.
Various public transport operators including the Mass Transit Railway Corporation Limited, franchised bus operators, and Hong Kong Tramways provide free rides for the public on the polling day.
Voting was supposed to end at 10:30pm last night.
The cumulative turnout rate was 90.06 percent by 3:30pm.
After casting her ballot, university language teacher Tam Po-chu, 79, said the vote would help stability and she hoped the new council would be responsive to the public. “There’s no use if they do not think of the Hong Kong people,” she said.
In the run-up to the election, more than 10 people were arrested for allegedly inciting people to cast blank ballots, including people who had reposted social media posts from others, according to government statements.
The LegCo is the legislature of the HKSAR. The Chief Executive in Council, in accordance with the Legislative Council Ordinance, has specified January 1 next year as the commencement date of the seventh-term LegCo of the HKSAR.
The term of office of the LegCo is four years.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
