Encourage employees to vote in Hong Kong’s coming Legco election: John Lee

Hong Kong’s leader has called on the public and private sectors to encourage employees to vote in the coming Legislative Council election, describing it as their social responsibility. At a ceremony to launch the election process on Thursday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu urged both public institutions and businesses to encourage employees to take part in the poll, emphasising that voting was both a right and a civic duty. “I strongly urge all sectors of society, including various institutions, businesses, organisations and groups, to fulfil their social responsibility by encouraging employees to vote on polling day, and offering them support where feasible,” Lee said. “Civil servants as part of the government should lead by example, vote and demonstrate their support for governance, and back the government’s policy of motivating all voters to vote.” He added that civil servants at work on polling day would be permitted to take time off and receive a transport allowance to cast their ballots. Lee also outlined the government’s three major priorities in preparing for the poll: ensuring a fair, clean and safe election; encouraging capable and passionate “patriots” to run; and mobilising citywide participation. David Lok Kai-hong, chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, said high voter participation would foster a fairer and more harmonious society. “Every ballot can influence governance, economic development and people’s lives,” Lok said, urging both the public sector and private firms to support employees exercising their voting rights under the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution. Their calls followed a 30.2 per cent turnout in the 2021 Legco election – a record low – the first poll under Beijing’s “patriots-only” electoral system. Beijing overhauled the city’s electoral model in the wake of the 2019 social unrest. The official opening of the general election period on Thursday was the first time a ceremony was held to mark the start and was attended by officials and representatives from public institutions and businesses. Ronald Chan Ngok-pang, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s head of mainland affairs, said that the organisation would promote the election across its betting branches, racecourses, clubhouses and offices. The club, which employs more than 20,000 staff, would also provide transport subsidies for employees on duty on election day to enable them to travel to polling stations, he added. Ahead of the nomination period that begins on Friday, more than a quarter of the city’s 89 lawmakers have said that they will not seek another term in the December election. The latest to declare that he was bowing out was So Cheung-wing of the Election Committee constituency, who cited his busy schedule for his decision. He was among legislators found to have raised the fewest questions and drawn the least media attention during the past four-year term. Among the 12 lawmakers aged 70 or above, only New People’s Party chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and her party colleague Lai Tung-kwok have yet to disclose whether they will seek another term. On Thursday, Ip remained tight-lipped about her plans, merely saying that she had fulfilled her duty and mission during this term. “We will return from time to time. Do not treat this as an eternal farewell,” she said. The party said it would reveal its line-up of candidates on Saturday. The pro-business Liberal Party said that five members would stand for election, including incumbents Peter Siu Ka-fai and Michael Lee Chun-keung, who will contest the retail and Election Committee constituencies respectively. Jonathan Leung Chun will take over from party veteran Tommy Cheung Yu-yan to contest the catering constituency, while Jeremy Young Chit-on and Kenny Yuen Kin-chung will run in Hong Kong Island West and Hong Kong Island East respectively. However, the Liberals will not field a candidate to succeed outgoing lawmaker Frankie Yick Chi-ming in the transport constituency, which the party has held since 1998. The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) also said that it would send a 16-member team to contest the election. All incumbent lawmakers from the federation would seek re-election, with three of them running in different sectors. Of the group, nine would run in geographical constituencies – all except Kowloon West – three would contest the labour functional constituency, and four would stand in the Election Committee sector. The average age of the team was 46, with the youngest member being 35, the FTU said. FTU president Stanley Ng Chau-pei said the federation had selected the best team, which was endorsed by its executive committee. The current Legco held its final meeting on Thursday. In his farewell remarks at the meeting, Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen praised the legislature for tackling long-standing livelihood issues. “I will not claim that this Legco’s performance was flawless, but I can confidently say that all lawmakers gave their all. The results speak for themselves; we achieved what previous legislatures could not in the past four years,” Leung said. “Legco is not a rubber stamp; the government also doesn’t have all the say. This current legislature demonstrated a historic high of executive-legislative constructive interaction.” Outgoing lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen called for more diverse voices in the legislature, saying checks and balances should be properly exercised by future legislators. “Please remember that besides the seamless cooperation [between the executive and legislative branches], there should be supervision. Besides efficiency, there should also be checks and balances,” the sole centrist lawmaker of this term said. “If there is only applause inside the legislature, we will not see the truth and the king [that is, the government] will only feel better about himself.”

Encourage employees to vote in Hong Kong’s coming Legco election: John Lee

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}At launch ceremony, city leader says it is part of employers’ social responsibility to support and encourage residents to vote

At launch ceremony, city leader says it is part of employers’ social responsibility to support and encourage residents to vote