Copyright scmp
There has been more intense competition for the coming Legislative Council election amid an unprecedented level of uncertainty, with neither a “blessing list” nor a “sure win” scenario for any candidate, according to a commentary posted by Beijing’s top office for the city’s affairs. The piece, reposted by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) on Monday night, marked Beijing’s latest attempt in recent weeks to stress that there were no candidates being endorsed by central authorities in the December 7 poll. The commentary, which first appeared in the pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao, said there would be “tougher” competition in the coming poll than in previous elections, with a “diverse” range of candidates providing “a real choice” for voters with higher expectations. “There is neither any so-called blessing list nor ‘sure-win list’,” the article read. “A characteristic of this election is ‘no one is confident and everyone has a chance’, with an unprecedented level of uncertainty.” The article urged residents to exercise their voting rights and not to give up their ballots. As of Monday, 160 people had submitted their nomination forms for the December 7 race, the second held under Beijing’s “patriots-only” electoral reform. Races will take place across geographical and functional constituencies as well as the Election Committee constituency, with none to be returned uncontested. The commentary said that candidates were doing their utmost in electioneering amid greater levels of uncertainty, as no one could win by “lying flat”, that is, being content without putting up a fight. It argued that the election’s fiery atmosphere would not exist if there were indeed a “blessing list”. Hong Kong’s public and business sectors have been echoing a government call to boost voter turnout by offering incentives such as a half day of paid leave and transport subsidies. Peter Lam Kin-ngok, chairman of Lai Sun Development, earlier urged chambers of commerce and corporations to offer half-day “gratitude” leave to employees who showed proof of the “thank you card” they obtained after casting their ballots. The first revamped election in 2021 saw a record low turnout of 30.2 per cent.
