HK vote lays foundation for elections

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's first elections under the revamped electoral system went smoothly on Sunday, marking a new era for patriots leading the administration of the city and laying a good foundation for future elections, the city's leader and members of various sectors said.

The 2021 Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Elections were conducted at five polling stations from 9 am to 6 pm. As of press time, the counting of votes was still underway.

The election is the first in the city since the nation's top legislature, the National People's Congress, adopted a decision in March on improving Hong Kong's electoral system to ensure the SAR is only ruled by patriots. The new system will be applied to all of Hong Kong's major elections in the future, including the Legislative Council election on Dec 19 and the chief executive election slated for March 27, 2022.

The Election Committee, expanded from 1,200 members to 1,500 from 40 subsectors, is tasked with nominating candidates for chief executive and the 90-member LegCo as well as electing the chief executive and 40 lawmakers.

A total of 412 candidates from 13 subsectors, including financial services, insurance, education, legal, and technology and innovation, competed for 364 seats at Sunday's polls. In addition to the contested seats, 27 other subsector seats were filled automatically, with some being ex officio members and others uncontested.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the voter turnout rate reflected the support for the new electoral system from members of various subsectors.

The first under the revamped electoral system, Sunday's elections are particularly meaningful. They mark the implementation of the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" in the political system of the HKSAR, the safeguarding of national interests and the successful implementation of "one country, two systems", Lam said in a statement.

Throughout the day, polling stations saw crowds gathered at the entrance to take photos to mark the first polls held under the new system. The elections also adopted new arrangements, such as the electronic poll registration system, and setting up special lines for voters who found it inconvenient to stand for too long.

The landmark elections attracted city-wide attention.

Richard Cullen, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong, said the electoral reform will place the SAR back on solid ground and make positive contributions to the city's future.

Michael Chong, a student at Hong Kong Baptist University, hopes the new electoral system helps residents step out of the shadow of the previous social turbulence. He expects the elected committee members to carry out their duties in a fair and honest manner.

Radiologist Kevin Lau Chunghang said the election is a big step for Hong Kong in electing real patriots to nominate the city's major administrators. He hopes the Election Committee members will help the city better grasp opportunities arising from national development.