LegCo election set for Dec 7: John Lee

Hong Kong will hold the Legislative Council election on December 7, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced on Tuesday.

Ahead of the LegCo polls, a by-election for the subsectors of the Election Committee (EC) will be held on September 7 to fill the 90 vacancies out of 967 elected members on the EC.

To ensure the successful holding of the eighth-term LegCo election and the EC by-election, the city leader said the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau will work closely with the Election Affairs Commission on preparation efforts.

They include publicity work, the recruitment and training of electoral staff, arrangements of voting and ballot-counting, data system and security, as well as formulating a comprehensive plan with contingency measures.

Lee said: “In a fair, honest, safe, orderly and effective manner, [the election] will choose a new term of capable, responsible lawmakers who love the country and Hong Kong and will serve citizens, Hong Kong and the country.”

The chief executive said the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau will announce the nomination periods of the two elections, and related details later this year.

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) expressed hopes that the election would elect patriotic and capable people.

The DAB also called on the authorities will enhance publicity campaigns to encourage eligible citizens to actively register as voters and participate in elections.

The party said government departments should work closely together to ensure thorough preparations, including improving vote-counting efficiency and strengthening support for electronic and network technologies. 

For instance, measures should be taken to prevent malfunctions or cyberattacks on systems such as the electronic voter registry.

(Jamie Liu)