New chapter in developing democracy in Hong Kong: China Daily editorial

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.

About 4.47 million people have registered as voters for the LegCo election in the special administrative region, which will return 90 lawmakers: 20 by geographical constituencies through direct elections, 30 by functional constituencies, which are mostly special interest or professional groups, and 40 by the Election Committee.

According to a fresh opinion poll of Hong Kong-based think tank Bauhinia Institute, out of the 1,528 voters surveyed, 77.9 percent believe that the LegCo election is of great importance to the future of Hong Kong, with 75.8 percent agreeing that the coming election is fair and widely representative. More than 72 percent of those surveyed are confident that the election will produce LegCo members who love the motherland and home city, thus benefit all Hong Kong people.

This is another evidence that the election to the seventh Legislative Council, the first major legislative exercise after the electoral system reform, is more about which candidates can serve the SAR better and help take measures to improve Hong Kong people's livelihoods. Unlike in the past, when polarized political debates between candidates and belligerent rhetoric were common, the debates this time have been on what should be done to boost Hong Kong's economy and consolidate its status as a global financial and logistics hub.

With the elimination of radicals and potential radicals from the election fray, the seventh Legislative Council will be able to focus on matters of importance and better serve the SAR and its people.

Yet some Western politicians continue to claim Hong Kong "lacks democracy". Worse, a Western media outlet wrote in a recent editorial that "boycotts and blank ballots are one of the last ways for Hong Kongers to express their political views", openly inciting people to cast invalid votes or not to vote. In its strong response, the SAR government warned the media outlet that it may have broken the law by publishing the editorial and the government reserves the "right to take necessary action".

This aptly portrays how desperate some Western media and politicians to disrupt the democratic process in Hong Kong and drag the city back to the mayhem of 2019.

At the root of the West's antagonism toward Hong Kong's democracy is their anti-China mentality. By badmouthing the improved electoral system in Hong Kong, they mean to not only curb the development of the SAR but also check China's rise.

It is time to hear voice of the Hong Kong people themselves in the election, instead of noises of certain Western politicians.