HK residents laud first LegCo election under improved system

Futile plots

Although polling was successfully completed, some people still attempted to smear Hong Kong's democratic development and discredit the poll by making a fuss over the turnout, which they claimed would reduce the legitimacy of the election.

Many recent overseas examples show that a turnout does not have to reach big numbers. That for the New York mayoral election on Nov 2 was about 24 percent, and for the French regional elections in June, the proportion was 33 percent.

Ho Lok-sang, a veteran economist from Lingnan University, said a high turnout would not necessarily represent the legitimacy of the election. What really matters is the elected lawmakers' ability to serve the public.

"Some people think that a government needs a high rate of endorsement by the vote in order to be legitimate. Believers of Western-style democracy subscribe to the view that only a popularly elected government is legitimate, but this is blind belief," he said.

The turnout was also affected by repeated attempts by local radicals and certain foreign forces to disrupt and slander the election. Fugitives such as Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Ted Hui Chi-fung, who have fled overseas to escape justice, blatantly urged Hong Kong people on social media to boycott the election and cast invalid ballots.

Law, who is wanted by Hong Kong police on suspicion of breaking the National Security Law, delivered a speech on the so-called Summit for Democracy organized by the United States recently, to defame the democratic systems of the Hong Kong SAR and the Chinese mainland.

In addition, some foreign media and politicians smeared the revamping of Hong Kong's electoral system as "democratic backsliding" and expressed support for local residents to spoil the election.

Solicitor and business leader Kennedy Wong Ying-ho said these moves clearly demonstrated the hypocrisy and double standards of the foreign forces.

They have no right to vilify and obstruct other jurisdictions' democratic development under the pretext of advocating democracy, Wong said.

Veteran political analyst Lau Siu-kai said the foreign forces' moves were futile anti-China plots, adding that the influence of Western-style democracy is decreasing around the world due to its deficiencies in promoting people's livelihoods.

He added that instead of blindly following Western-style democracy, Hong Kong's new electoral system has taken into consideration the city's historical background, and conforms to its actuality. Lau believes it is beneficial to Hong Kong's long-term political, economic and social development and the improvement of people's livelihoods.

Jo Lee, a veteran journalist who has specialized in covering social and political issues in Hong Kong and the mainland, said that in the LegCo election people would see "how real democracy works for those who have the people and the country's true interests in their hearts over fake Western-style democracy". "Those fugitives and failed politicians can eat their words," she said.

Mark Pinkstone, former chief information officer of the Hong Kong SAR, noted that the basis for the new candidates is loyalty to Hong Kong.

"Democracy prevails in Hong Kong... No longer will the legislature be used as a base for subversion, as in the past," he said.