Hong Kong’s three major television broadcasters have reportedly called off plans to hold election forums for the “patriots only” legislative race in December, giving way to those organised by the government.
The three television channels – TVB, i-Cable, and Now TV – traditionally organise election forums ahead of each Legislative Council (LegCo) elections, which take place every four years, allowing candidates to openly debate their political platforms.
However, Ming Pao reported on Wednesday that the broadcasters decided to cancel their programmes for the December 7 legislative race. The government kicked off its own 39 election forums on Tuesday.
The newspaper’s political column cited unnamed sources as saying that LegCo election “novices,” referring to first-time candidates, who comprise about half of all 161 candidates this year, would participate only in government-organised forums.
“People in the political scene said that LegCo poll novices found appearing in election forums was too stressful,” the Chinese-language newspaper said. “Also, with less than a month to go until the polls, they decided to appear only in government-organised forums.”
The newspaper also said some candidates would rather go to the streets to promote themselves and their platforms instead of going on air to debate.
On Wednesday, Sing Tao Daily’s political column also said, citing anonymous sources, that LegCo candidates would take part only in government-organised election forums to “avoid misspeaking,” rather than in those hosted by the media.
As of Wednesday, no media-hosted election forums had been announced, while the government had already staged four such events this week.
In government-organised forums, candidates do not engage in heated debates – a feature of media-run forums. Instead, they take turns explaining their platforms and largely refrain from attacking other candidates.
HKFP has reached out to TVB, i-Cable, and Now for comment.
The government’s “Patriots Collaborate for Good Governance” forums will cover all 39 sectors of the LegCo race – including the Election Committee, 28 functional constituencies, and 10 geographical constituencies.
Members of the public can only vote for the geographical constituencies, while the Election Committee and the functional constituencies are small-circle elections.
The official election forums are part of the government’s drive to encourage voting on December 7, after Hong Kong saw a record low turnout in the 2021 elections. It was the first poll following a Beijing-led electoral overhaul to make sure only “patriots” could run for office.
Erick Tsang, secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, said on Tuesday that the first two election forums were “satisfactory” and raised public awareness regarding LegCo candidates.
When asked by a reporter, he said he “did not hear” that some candidates were told not to participate in media-organised election forums.
In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure “patriots” govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. Authorities say the overhaul ensures the city’s stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as much of the traditional opposition remains behind bars, in self-exile or has quit politics.
