The upcoming Legislative Council election in September is undoubtedly one of the most important political events in Hong Kong this year. It will offer the public a great opportunity to express its aspirations after months of social unrest, the onslaught of the novel coronavirus and a serious economic downturn. An election should be fair. To ensure it is fair, the necessary preparations are crucial; they deserve our full attention.

The Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) of Hong Kong has just released draft guidelines for the 2020 Legislative Council election and launched a month-long public consultation. The new set of guidelines are practical, having taken into consideration the experience gained from the last District Council elections. One of the suggested measures is that elderly voters aged 70 or above, pregnant women and people with disabilities be given priority over others when casting their votes. This is to spare them from standing in line for a long time. Surprisingly, such a reasonable amendment has drawn criticism from the opposition camp. They argued that this will give pro-establishment parties an advantage, claiming they have traditionally been favored by senior voters.

This argument doesn’t hold water. It is, in the first place, merely a logical fallacy, or an inappropriate presumption. It assumes that the elderly will vote for pro-establishment parties only. While polling data in many occasions suggests more elderly voters support the pro-establishment camp, it cannot be safely assumed that they will do this in all elections. Every party should try to rally support from all members of the public, regardless of their age. By raising objections to the priority proposal, has the opposition camp already given up on elderly voters and is it deliberately ignoring their special voting needs in the election?

Most election guidelines are based on laws such as the Legislative Council Ordinance. They need to be improved over time based on operational experiences gained in previous elections. The new arrangement to address the special needs of certain voters is a good example

Age is not the issue; the special needs of the elderly is. Just as Fung Wah, chairman of the EAC, said, “We would like to have a fair process, but sometimes if there’s a special need, you have to deal with it; otherwise, it may become an unfair situation.” The proposed priority is not only for those aged 70 or above, but also for pregnant women and physically disabled people. If we agree that the elderly need priority and that the current arrangement does not favor their turnout, it is logical for others to argue that the current situation favors the opposition camp.

Fair and open elections are one of the key elements of democracy. To ensure the fairness of elections, there must be an independent, impartial and apolitical election body to conduct the elections. The EAC, established under the EAC Ordinance in 1997, is such an organization. Its main objective is to ensure elections are conducted openly, fairly and honestly at all times. Most election guidelines are based on laws such as the Legislative Council Ordinance. They need to be improved over time based on operational experiences gained in previous elections. The new arrangement to address the special needs of certain voters is a good example. The voter turnout rate was historically high in the last District Council elections, when long lines of voters were seen across the city. Those in need of voting priorities suffered by having to wait a long time before casting their votes. Without the proposed new arrangements giving them priority, they could be discouraged from voting in the upcoming LegCo election.

The EAC has learned a lesson from the previous election and is trying to improve voting arrangements. This action to enhance fairness should be appreciated by the public, especially those who believe in “true democracy”.

Indeed, there are other new recommendations suggested by the EAC. For instance, “specifying that an elector may request to check if a line has been drawn across his/her name and identity document number in the copy of the register of electors when applying for a ballot paper”. This will help ensure the integrity of the election.

With a growing aging population, respecting the elderly should be a self-evident social norm. However, we have heard that some opposition supporters tried to discourage elderly people from voting by deliberately prolonging the lines by using dirty tricks. Aristotle once said, “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.” The quality of democracy is more important than an election victory. All politicians should ask themselves what they are really striving for. And the public should keep its eyes open and make the right decisions.

The author is senior research officer of the One Country Two Systems Research Institute.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.