It will be “improper” for candidates to trade insults at election forums, a senior Hong Kong official has said, in response to criticisms of the government-run events held ahead of the “patriots only” polls.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan on Friday morning addressed comments that the government-run election forums this week had no free debate sessions and lacked the “sparks” when opposition lawmakers could still contest seats in the Legislative Council (LegCo).
“If by ‘sparks‘ you mean exchanging insults, using foul language, and reopening old wounds, then those are not very proper debates,” Chan said on Metro Radio. “We’re hoping for a higher-level debate.”
He added, “As for whether they want to have a more heated debate or a less heated one, that’s up to the candidates. They need to grasp the opportunity themselves.”
The government is holding a total of 39 election forums in the lead-up to the second “all patriots” Legislative Council (LegCo) elections on December 7. A total of 161 candidates are vying for 90 seats in the legislature.
Major television broadcasters have reportedly called off plans to hold election forums for the December race.
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.
‘You should cooperate’
Hong Kong officials have emphasised cooperation in the 2022-25 legislative term, as opposed to previous terms plagued by the opposition’s filibustering tactics.
Chief Executive John Lee said at a high-level seminar on the legislature’s performance last month that the “executive-legislative relationship has returned to rationality.”
Chan also emphasised this on Friday, saying: “Once you’re in the legislature, you should cooperate with me.”
The chief secretary continued: “In the past, when there were still opposition lawmakers, their goal was to stop you – they didn’t even want the bills to be passed. That’s different from wanting to improve the laws.”
During its four-year term, the first patriots-only legislature passed 130 bills into law and voted down only one bill, the Registration of Same-sex Partnership Bill.
Chan also said that the government had not set a goal for the voter turnout, but the ultimate aim was for all registered voters to cast their ballots.
That remark comes amid a broad push to boost the voter turnout for this year’s election, after the 2021 legislative race – Hong Kong’s first after a Beijing-enacted electoral shake-up – saw a record-low turnout of 30.2 per cent, compared with 58.3 per cent in 2016.
The District Council elections had a 27.5 per cent turnout in 2023, down from 71.2 per cent in 2019.
In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure only “patriots” govern Hong Kong in a move that reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates.
Following the 2021 overhaul, only 20 lawmakers will be elected directly by around 4.14 million registered voters in their respective geographical constituencies.
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.
