Letters | Legco election 2021: electoral revamp made possible slate of quality candidates and constructive debate

The sloganeering and vague promises of elections past were replaced by a focus on the major issues confronting Hong Kong, even as law and order was restored

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Hong Kong’s incoming lawmakers stand for photographs following an oath-taking ceremony at the Legislative Council on January 3. The seventh-term Legco is expected to help raise the standards of Hong Kong governance. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 7:30am, 7 Jan 2022

Upon witnessing the successful completion of the oath-taking ceremony for members of the seventh-term Legislative Council, I would like to share my observations on the election under the improved electoral system in my capacity as a 2021 Election Committee member and a candidate in the 2021 Legco election.

As a candidate in the medical and health services constituency, I was grateful for the positive changes brought by the introduction of the new electoral system. Instead of the highly politicised electioneering activities, involving sloganised propaganda with vague promises to voters, that characterised elections over the past two decades, this year we saw candidates canvassing for support through public forums broadcast on online platforms or via Zoom meetings.

Candidates came from diverse professions and many were of high calibre. Veterans and new faces alike explained their election platforms and how they proposed to tackle livelihood problems, offering incisive views and viable solutions backed by professional reasoning.

In my field, the medical and health services industry, the exchange of ideas did not stop once the forum was over and the candidates went off air. The candidates continued to talk in subsequent meetings, leading to many divergences of views being narrowed down and certain consensuses reached.

Of course, the eventual “how” and “when” of executing any proposed reforms remains the onus of the successful candidate, and the devil is in the details. Even so, we expect the elected Legco members to deliver on their promises.

Now with the restoration of law and order, we can be assured of the preservation of “one country, two systems”, the continuity of Hong Kong’s capitalist market system, the sustainability of people’s livelihoods, and the safety and stability of our society.