Vote hailed as latest success of new electoral system

Lee's victory bodes well for Hong Kong's unity, prospects

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China's State Council said on Sunday that Hong Kong has taken on a fresh look with a new electoral system and is poised for a brighter future at a new starting point.

The office expressed the view in an article released after John Lee Ka-chiu won the election to become the sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with an overwhelming majority of votes. It congratulated Lee on winning the election.

The election represented another successful practice of the HKSAR's new electoral system after the Election Committee elections in September last year and the election of the seventh-term Legislative Council in December, the office said.

It has been proved by solid facts that the new system is a good one that follows the "one country, two systems" principle and is suited to Hong Kong's realities, the office said.

Facts will also prove that the newly elected chief executive will lead the new team of the HKSAR government and people from all sectors of society to remain united and strive for new prospects of good governance in Hong Kong at a new starting point, it added.

The election is the HKSAR's first chief executive election held after Hong Kong's transition from chaos to order. It is of great significance and far-reaching influence and has drawn wide attention.

The office hailed Sunday's election as a complete success. This was achieved with the joint efforts of the HKSAR government and all sectors of society by conducting the election in strict accordance with the Basic Law of the HKSAR, relevant decisions of the National People's Congress and its standing committee, and relevant electoral laws of the HKSAR, and by overcoming the impact of COVID-19, it said.

"The election process was orderly, fair, safe, clean and with numerous highlights," it added.