New, younger faces have won nearly half of the 90 seats in Hong Kong’s second “patriots-only” Legislative Council, and their immediate task will be to tackle the aftermath of the deadly Tai Po fire and implement systemic reforms.
The Sunday poll drew a 31.9 per cent turnout rate, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu declaring that the election would have profound significance as Hong Kong recovered from the catastrophic fire that killed 159 people.
“[The election] demonstrates electors’ support for the government’s commitment to recovery and reform following the tragedy and for electing capable and committed Legco members to drive institutional reform,” he said.
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“Through initiating debates, promoting the review and updating of legislation, and driving systemic reforms, we will make Hong Kong a safer city where citizens can live with greater peace of mind.”
While the voter turnout rate was 1.7 percentage points higher than the record low 30.2 per cent in 2021, the total number of registered voters who cast their ballot fell by 33,000 compared with the previous poll.
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The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the success of the election and “high voter turnout” were a milestone achievement that would further consolidate and develop “high-quality democracy” according to the “one country, two systems” governing principle, Hong Kong’s Basic Law, and the realities faced by the city.