Mark Pinkstone: Enlarged LegCo augurs well for HK

Editor's note: The 2021 Legislative Council election which took place on Sunday is the first under Hong Kong’s revamped electoral system. Mark Pinkstone, former chief information officer for the Hong Kong government and a veteran journalist, told China Daily that he believes the expanded legislature augurs well for the city. Here is what he said.

1. What do you think of the arrangements at the polling stations this year?

What impressed me most was the arrangement made for Hong Kong voters working in the Chinese mainland. At their own expense and time, many flew from Beijing, Shanghai and other places to Shenzhen to cast their votes. This was most commendable and a show of true patriotism.

2. The expanded legislature includes new sectors and new constituencies, such as representatives from the grassroots and national level associations, as well as the Election Committee constituency. How will these changes in the legislature benefit Hong Kong, its governance, and the people?

The enlarged legislature augurs well for Hong Kong. There are now more voices to scrutinize government bills and they can debate issues without interference. We are now assured of having a legislature that will take people’s hopes and aspirations to heart with its wide representation of the entire community.

3. What are your expectations for those who won the race, for the next-term LegCo, and for Hong Kong as a whole?

Candidates who secured seats in the legislature are of a high quality with extensive knowledge of their chosen fields and constituents. They will provide lively debates based on hard evidence instead of flippant opinions as witnessed in the previous legislature.

4. Some anti-China forces launched smear campaigns against the election and attempted to influence voters to cast blank ballots or to boycott the election. What do you think of the move? Do you think their tactics worked?

Those who tried to deride the elections are losers who have an axe to grind because they couldn’t get their own way. They have no idea of compromises. They act like inexperienced schoolchildren who fled Hong Kong to escape prosecution for crimes committed during the past few years. They now suffer in purgatory trying to adapt to a new life away from their comfort zone. It would be wrong to say their smear campaigns did not have any impacts on Hong Kong; they did, but only marginally. There are still forces in Hong Kong determined to undermine the special administrative region, but under the new National Security Law they appear to have gone underground and speak in only muffled tones.