Hong Kong will hold its eighth Legislative Council election on the 7th, when eligible voters will cast their ballots to elect 90 new lawmakers from among 161 candidates.
According to China News Service, at 39 election forums hosted by the Special Administrative Region government, candidates have offered sound proposals and competed in their platforms regarding Hong Kong's development blueprint and key social and livelihood issues.
The seats in the eighth Legislative Council are composed of geographical constituencies, functional constituencies, and the Election Committee constituency. On polling day, Hong Kong will set up over 600 polling stations, open for approximately 4.13 million registered voters.
For geographical constituencies, 51 candidates will compete for 20 seats across 10 districts. In the functional constituencies, 60 candidates will compete for 30 seats across 28 sectors. As for the Election Committee constituency, 50 candidates will vie for 40 seats. All constituencies and sectors will be contested, with the most intense competition in Kowloon Central, where “6 are vying for 2” seats.
It is worth noting that after the Tai Po fire, the forum was temporarily suspended, and upon resumption, procedures were adjusted, making post-disaster reconstruction and systemic reform must-answer questions for candidates. Thus, in the last eight forums, the public heard concrete reconstruction or reform proposals, such as the establishment of an official "Maintenance Office" to coordinate building repairs, supervision of the effectiveness of fire drills, real enhancement of rescue collaboration in the Greater Bay Area, and attention to post-disaster psychological support for society as a whole.
Voting will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., with results being released progressively from late at night to early the next day.