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Hong Kong authorities will take a hard line towards any disruptions to the coming Legislative Council election, the city’s leader has warned, while noting he will send out a letter urging civil servants to vote in the December poll. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday also stressed that there was no “hard target” for the election turnout rate, but dodged a question on whether any government workers who did not vote would be punished. Last Friday, the central government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office shared a strongly worded commentary calling for vigilance against any attempts to jeopardise the December 7 election. It also cautioned that local law enforcement agencies would not “sit back and do nothing”. In the run-up to the election, 12 lawmakers aged 70 and above have announced they will not run for another term, fuelling speculation that an age limit has been set for legislators. Twenty-eight members of the current Legco have indicated they will not seek re-election. Before his weekly meeting with the Executive Council, Lee said: “There are signs that anti-China and Hong Kong forces are attempting to interfere with and sabotage the Legco election by spreading rumours with the objective of negating the new electoral system.” He pointed to criticism that portrayed Beijing’s interest in the election as interference, attempts to depict normal personnel changes as restrictions imposed by central authorities and the fabrication of a “blessed lists” of candidates. “The forces of opposition and soft resistance attempt to smear this legitimate concern and attention as interference,” he said. “The Hong Kong government must firmly rebuke these false claims and strictly enforce the law against any illegal actions that disrupt the election. “It is perfectly natural and legitimate for the central government to care about and pay attention to the election as it matters to the city’s constitutional order, national security and good governance.” The city leader also said he would send out a letter to all civil servants on Tuesday, encouraging them to exercise their civic responsibility to vote, adding that the government would offer convenient options for those working on election day. “Civil servants are key members of the government in implementing policies … How lawmakers coordinate with us daily and how we maintain checks and balances affects the daily work of every civil servant,” he said. “As important members of the government, civil servants should fulfil their civic duty and lead by example by voting.” But Lee dodged a question on whether authorities would punish government workers who do not vote. The coming election, the second under Beijing’s “patriots-only” overhaul, has also sparked concerns about a possible low voter turnout rate due to many veteran lawmakers opting not to seek another term. The 2021 Legco poll only saw a turnout of 30.2 per cent in the geographical constituencies, the lowest since 1997. But Lee on Tuesday stressed that the government had not set any “hard target” for this election’s turnout. “The goal we set for ourselves is [to] do our best in all elements of the election … There is no other hard target,” he said. Lee said his administration had taken references from successful elections held by other regions, including the “good exchanges” with Macau, which held its Legco election in September. The nomination period for Hong Kong’s Legco election will close on November 6, with at least 42 hopefuls announcing plans to run for the 20 seats in the geographical constituencies as of Tuesday noon. Another 22 aspirants have signed up for the 40 seats in the Election Committee constituency, while 24 plan to vie for the 30 seats in functional constituencies. Hong Kong’s leader said 50 candidates so far had successfully registered to run in the election, adding that it would see “fierce competition” and encouraged everyone to take part. Lee also weighed in on the Legco’s cancellation of the valedictory motion marking the end of its four-year term and the end-of-year banquet over concerns about conflicts of interest. “I respect that decision, and I also fully appreciate why they make decisions about what they will do,” he said.
