While welcoming a new chapter for Hong Kong’s socioeconomic development at the beginning of the Year of the Tiger, it is a good time to sum up and share my observations on the 2021 Legislative Council election held on Dec 19 under the revamped electoral system in my capacity as an Election Committee member as well as a candidate in the Legislative Council election.
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Being a candidate contesting the Medical and Health Services Constituency, I had the most down-to-earth experience and frontline observations that proved the effectiveness, as well as the success, of the newly introduced revamped electoral system. One of the most noticeable changes was that the highly politicalized electioneering activities that prevailed in the streets during elections in the previous two decades have disappeared, with all campaign activities being held in a decent and orderly manner.
In the past, whatever the political platforms or election manifestos presented by the big chunk of candidates who were obsessed with political or ideological machinations were, most if not all merely sloganized propaganda featuring empty or unrealistic promises. There was very little attention paid to livelihood issues; few of these candidates were genuinely concerned about the “bread and butter” of the ordinary residents, with most promoting only their own political agendas or partisan interests.
Council members are expected to prioritize livelihood issues, promote reforms, and enhance the governance efficiency, with the ultimate aim of building an environment conducive to achieving common prosperity
As a result of the presence of a large chunk of politicians hell-bent on advancing only their own political agendas in LegCo, socioeconomic issues requiring immediate attention and rectification were conveniently ignored or, in many cases, were not discussed sufficiently at the legislature. This explains why livelihood issues such as a housing shortage, a widening wealth gap and a lack of upward social mobility have taken root in Hong Kong and become deep-seated problems that have plagued Hong Kong society for decades.
As one of the 1,488 Election Committee members responsible for selecting 40 lawmakers out of 51 candidates contesting the Election Committee Constituency, I fully appreciated the Hong Kong Coalition’s initiative to organize a public forum for the Election Committee Constituency. This unprecedented arrangement was a worthwhile experience and a good opportunity for the candidates to present their election platforms or election manifestos through online broadcast or Zoom meeting in a frank and open manner. The majority of the candidates in the Dec 19 election were high- caliber individuals from different professions and of wider ranging age groups. Whether they were veteran politicians or new faces, they presented to their voters impressive election platforms or manifestos. Not only did they express their professional opinions on tackling the deep-seated social problems with incisive views, but they also came up with viable solutions and justifications. In general, we the voters got the feeling that at last we were getting the right people for LegCo.
Furthermore, throughout the pre-election period, a diverse array of mass media outlets invited candidates of the same constituency to attend public forums to share their election platforms and views. In the case of the Medical and Health Services Constituency, debate or discussion on many critical and livelihood issues did not stop when the forum was off-air; candidates did follow up and readdress the topics in the following forums, thus leading to the convergence of views or consensus. Surely the eventual “how” and “when” on executing the proposed plans remain the onus of the successful candidates.
Now with the restoration of law and order in Hong Kong after the promulgation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the improvement of the electoral system, the preservation of “one country, two systems” and the continuity of Hong Kong’s capitalist system are ensured; the prosperity and stability will also be guaranteed in Hong Kong, with the deep-seated problems being solved gradually under a healthy executive-legislature partnership. All of these are positive results of the promulgation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the improvement of the electoral system, which have effectively kept hostile forces at bay, preventing them from further subverting Hong Kong and making it an operational base for anti-China activities. Hong Kong residents who were terrified by social turmoil in 2019 and early 2020 have regained confidence in the future of Hong Kong.
In good faith, we will continue to monitor the performance of the seventh-term LegCo. Council members are expected to prioritize livelihood issues, promote reforms, and enhance the governance efficiency, with the ultimate aim of building an environment conducive to achieving common prosperity.
The author is an Election Committee member and a founding member of Hong Kong Coalition.