{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Comment","item":{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https://www.thestandard.com.hk/comment"}}]}]17:T7e0,

Civil servants will strive to make sure upcoming elections go smoothly to put Hong Kong back on the right track, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said.

Nip said on Facebook yesterday that the city will have three elections this year and next year, including the Election Committee subsector elections on Sunday, the Legislative Council election in December and the chief executive election in March.

With the Election Committee elections, Nip said many candidates have spent the weekend promoting their platforms.

Of the 1,500 seats up for grabs in the expanded Election Committee, 300 are ex-officio members and 760 others have gained the seats uncontested or through nominations by qualified organizations.

Nip's post came as Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said in an Eastweek interview that election candidates will pass vetting by a seven-strong committee as long as they "genuinely and sincerely" uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the SAR.

Efforts to fake allegiance will end in failure, he said.

Tang said his bureau will pay close attention to prevent terrorist and lone-wolf attacks that could disturb polling on election day.

Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu yesterday visited the Registration and Electoral Office in Kowloon Bay to inspect preparations for Sunday's election.

He said: "The government is making all necessary arrangements for the elections in strict accordance with the revised electoral regulations. The preparatory work of the REO is at its final stage to make sure that the elections will be conducted in a fair, just, clean, orderly and safe manner."

Civil service 'will do bit to ensure smooth elections'