The China Story
at your Fingertips
OPEN
Despite continuous smearing and slander from local radicals and certain backstage manipulators, polling in Hong Kong's first Legislative Council election under the revamped electoral system concluded smoothly on Sunday.
Hong Kong residents go out in the evening to vote for the Legislative Council Election in Tseung Kwan O on Sunday. [Photo by Raymond Chan/ China Daily]
Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy director of Hong Kong's Basic Law Committee, said after casting her vote in the Election Committee constituency that she believes the new Legislative Council will be far more efficient, and work for the interest of Hong Kong people.
Hong Kong residents who cast ballots on Sunday expressed their expectations for the new Legislative Council and shared their thoughts on this year's election. Check out the video to hear their voice.
Ahead of Hong Kong's Legislative Council election on Sunday, anti-China elements had been doing their best to vilify the special administrative region's new election system and sabotage the election by dissuading voters from going to the polling stations and casting a ballot.
Nine hours into the Hong Kong Legislative Council election, about 95.4 percent, or 1,381, of the 1,448 members in the Election Committee constituency have cast their ballots as of 5:30 pm on Sunday, the official data shows.
Angus Ng Hok-ming, chairman of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Association, said Sunday's election signifies new changes essential for the future of Hong Kong.
Rosemary Terrance from the United Kingdom, who is the director of Exchange HK Ltd, says she is excited to cast her first vote ever in an election in Hong Kong.
Joy Pamnani , an Indian working as a trainer at Inspire2Aspire, says it is important to vote since the Legislative Council election is related to Hong Kong's future.
Nixie Lam, a Legislative Council election candidate from the Election Committee Constituency, said the newly added Election Committee Constituency under the revamped electoral system gathers candidates from various sectors, allowing them to provide their expertise into all of LegCo, in addition to issues concerning Hong Kong's development within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Expats in Hong Kong expressed high expectations on Sunday about the next-term Legislative Council, saying the LegCo election taking place that day heralded a step forward for the city's prosperity.
New People's Party chairperson and Legislative Council election candidate Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee (center) poses with supporters during the Legislative Council General Election on Dec 19, 2021 in Hong Kong. (GEORGE CHAN / CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong voting is important as without this people will have no say in legislative decisions, says sports education specialist Chris. Hong Kong residents are going in the right direction, he says.
Duncan Abate, a member of the Employers Federation of Hong Kong, says the voting process on Sunday is really exciting. He says he expects the new LegCo to stop polarization and to drive HongKong forward to prosperity.
HONG KONG - Hong Kong residents enjoyed free rides on most routes of the public transport systems on Sunday, as the government has made special arrangements for the polling day of the 2021 Legislative Council General Election.
Clarence Ling, chairman of the Y. Elites Association, says the process of voting for Sunday's 2021 Legislative Council election is smooth, with a nice atmosphere.
The election for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Legislative Council (LegCo) will be held on Sunday. As the first LegCo election held after the electoral system improvement, it will have more seats, more balanced distribution among different social backgrounds, as well as a wide spectrum in the political sphere.
Businesswoman Pansy Ho Chiu-king says she hopes to see more new and young faces to represent the future of HongKong.
Nury Vittachi, editor of a Hong Kong-based website, finds that the incoming new Legislative Council will have more diverse voices than before. Contrary to some outside media reporting, a wide range of voters, including workers, fishermen, teachers and nurses, all the way up to the business elite, have good and fresh ideas, he said.
Hong Kong's political heavyweights and community leaders said Sunday's 2021 Legislative Council Election is a pivotal moment in the city's political development that will ensure a brighter future for the people.
As Hong Kong goes to the polls on Sunday to elect the city's 7th-term Legislative Council, residents from all walks of life voiced optimism that the new lawmakers will truly serve the interests of Hong Kong and its residents.
HK LegCo candidates eye support on the streets
On the official web page introducing the 153 candidates for the coming Legislative Council election, one can see the name, identity, as well as basic political views of them.
Top officials of the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region led the early morning crowd of voters in the 2021 Legislative Council General Election on Sunday – the first under the city's revamped electoral system and the biggest LegCo poll ever held.
Jason Lee, an executive vice-chairman of the Hong Kong CPPCC Youth Association, says the revamped electoral system offers a broad representation of Hong Kong society. He is encouraging Hong Kong residents to vote in the Legislative Council election.
Hong Kong's Legislative Council election just kicked off. Voters from all walks of life across the administrative region are heading to 657 polling stations and casting their votes. They are going to pick talented people among candidates with different backgrounds and different political views to run the city on their behalf and tackle real problems with practical solutions.
HK officials cast votes for LegCo election
Chandran Nair, CEO of pan-Asian think tank Global Institute for Tomorrow, said he has faith that those who run for the Legislative Council election will contribute to Hong Kong and its people.
Carrie Lam votes in HKSAR's 7th term LegCo election
Hong Kong started its first Legislative Council election under the revamped electoral system on Sunday morning, as over 620 polling stations opened at 8:30 am for electors to cast their votes.
The election for the seventh-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region kicked off Sunday Morning, the first since the improvement to the HKSAR electoral system.
Hong Kong will hold its first legislative election under the improved electoral system on Sunday. China Daily talked to an array of representatives from Hong Kong's various sectors to weigh in on the upcoming election and Hong Kong's democracy. Zhao Jiayin, member of the All-China Youth Federation and vice-chairman of the Hua Jing Society, said the new electoral system made people pay more attention to candidates' abilities and contributions, which is a far cry from the previous extremely politicized elections.
Five more Hong Kong fugitives are wanted by the city's anti-corruption watchdog for inciting others not to vote in Sunday's Legislative Council election.
HONG KONG - With Hong Kong's first Legislative Council election to be held on Sunday under the city's revamped electoral system, the police will be out in force to ensure that the polls can proceed smoothly and orderly.
Over 70 percent of Hong Kong voters in a Friday survey expressed confidence in the competence of new lawmakers to be elected in Sunday's polls, as officials and civic leaders stepped up efforts to call on residents to vote for the city's future.
That 153 candidates from different political groups holding different political ideas and aspirations are contesting the Hong Kong Legislative Council election shows the openness and inclusiveness of new election system, which aims to balance the interests of all sectors of society and broadly represent their opinions, and thus is opening a new chapter in the development of democracy in the city.
