National organizations' HK members pledge to bridge the government and public

Hong Kong members of five national organizations, who are sitting on the city's newly constituted 1,500-member Election Committee, pledged to provide platforms for sectors to express their opinions in a bid to enhance top-down communication in the special administrative region.

The representatives, who will take up 110 seats on the committee, are part of a fifth sector that has been added under the improved electoral system to boost the committee's representation.

The Election Committee, which expanded from 1,200 members, is tasked with nominating candidates for chief executive and the 90-member Legislative Council, and electing the chief executive and 40 LegCo members. The State Council will subsequently ratify the chief executive's election.

The national organizations, a new subsector among the 40 subsectors on the committee, include five organizations, namely the China Overseas Friendship Association, the All-China Youth Federation, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the All-China Women's Federation and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce.

In meeting the press, Pansy Ho Chiu-king, executive committee member of the All-China Women's Federation, said that the revamped electoral system enables more participation of women in the governance structure, which better reflects the overall interests of the community.

The federation will continue to safeguard the legitimate rights of women and children, and actively promote the unity of women from all walks of life, Ho said, adding that street booths will be set up this weekend to receive more voices from Hong Kong women.

Attending the event, Lo Kam-yam, Hong Kong representative of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, noted five suggestions for the government to promote the city's industrial and commercial development, including restoring quarantine-free cross-border travel with the Chinese mainland and providing more financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Elections will be held on Sept 19 for 13 subsectors out of 40 where the number of candidates exceeds the number of seats provided, the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee said on Aug 26.

In March, the nation's top legislature National People's Congress passed a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.