Election weekend packed with free and fun activities

Michael Shum

A large-scale outdoor concert, a drone performance and free museum visits will be on offer on December 9 - a day before the district council elections in an attempt to make citizens stay in Hong Kong to vote.

Speaking as he headed to an Executive Council meeting yesterday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the Science Museum, the Space Museum, the Museum of Art and the Wetland Park will have free admissions.

Various activities including the concert, sports activities and the drone performance will be held in six outdoor venues of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, including the harborfronts at Wan Chai and Kwun Tong.

A photo exhibition will also take place at the Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay, while the Environment and Ecology Bureau partner with the Kowloon Motor Bus to show off vintage and new electric buses in its Lai Chi Kok depot.

The Education Bureau will also roll out family activities for kindergarten, primary and secondary students to let them know more about the districts where they live.

On whether the promotions are meant to keep citizens at home instead of crossing the border in hopes of boosting the voter turnout, Lee said the administration always encourages citizens to vote and spend money in Hong Kong.

"The government is hoping to raise the awareness and the public's attention towards the elections and let citizens join other activities in Hong Kong after participating in the large-scale event," he added.

As far as voter turnout is concerned, Lee remarked that the administration is looking continuously for ways to improve it.

"There are less than two weeks before the polling date of the district council elections," Lee said, and "I encourage citizens, especially civil servants, to cast their ballots. The government will ensure the election is carried out in a fair, safe and orderly manner."

He also said Radio Television Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Coalition, with former chief executives Tung Chee-hwa and Leung Chun-ying as chief conveners, will be organizing election forums.

"The forums will let candidates introduce their manifestoes and let citizens know their candidates better," Lee said. "Therefore I encourage citizens to be more aware of media reports and choose the best candidate to build a better community."

Meanwhile, as government officials continue bombarding people with district council election promotions, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki did that with members of the Human Resources Planning Commission, who were meeting yesterday.

Chan also called on employers to roll out flexible working arrangements to allow sufficient time for employees to cast ballots.

Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu also posted a video of him speaking in the Minnan dialect to call on fellow Fujian townsmen to cast their ballots.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com