The campaign for the eighth Legislative Council (LegCo) election is underway, making it the second legislative election in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since the implementation of the improved electoral system in May 2021. Smooth polling is vitally important to the successful implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle as well as socioeconomic development in Hong Kong.
In this sense, voting is not just a right; it’s a way to safeguard stability and facilitate better policymaking by putting the right people into the legislature. The recent deadly fire in Tai Po has only underscored the importance of having the right legislators to introduce the various reforms needed to safeguard social stability. Young people facing economic and career pressures should be aware that helping capable candidates make it to the legislature with their precious votes can bring their priorities into policy-making and help shape the city’s future.
The white paper Hong Kong: Democratic Progress under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems, issued by the State Council Information Office in 2021, notes that meaningful democratic development in Hong Kong began only after the city’s return to the motherland. Under British rule, people living in Hong Kong were largely excluded from the governance structure. The Basic Law set the course for democratic progress in the SAR, with the central authorities approving electoral changes proposed by the SAR government, as well as providing a timetable for universal suffrage, and a road map for realization.
Yet opposition-driven confrontation often hindered governance and livelihood policies. Over‑politicization has hurt the economy, delayed housing development, resulting in persistently high housing prices, and retarded upward social mobility for young people by limiting the creation of high-quality jobs.
As the white paper underscores, the SAR’s democratic prospects are bright under the “one country, two systems” framework. On Sunday, all eligible voters should cast their ballot and advance Hong Kong’s distinctive style of democracy
While development of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone has accelerated, broader cross-boundary integration only recently found its footing. Following the 2019-20 riots and the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong’s unemployment once surged above 7 percent, with young people taking the brunt; and the waiting time for a qualified family to be awarded a public rental housing unit once stretched over six years. Under the toxic political climate a few years ago when loopholes in the old electoral system were exploited by political agitators to gain a foothold inside the legislature and other parts of the governance structure, forward-looking initiatives like the Northern Metropolis would have struggled to advance.
Four years on, the enhanced electoral system has fostered quality democracy consistent with the “one country, two systems” principle and the Basic Law. Democracy ideally should help solve real problems instead of serving as an ornament. The new electoral system emphasizes “patriots administering Hong Kong” and merit-based selection, avoiding the pitfalls of populism. Professionals — engineers, lawyers, doctors, academics — who once shunned a confrontational LegCo are now more willing to serve. The seventh-term LegCo has shown great rationality and efficiency in carrying out its work; candidates today bring domain expertise and targeted proposals on youth, housing and entrepreneurship issues. This points to a system better aligned with social needs.
As Hong Kong advances under the “one country, two systems” principle, we should tell the good stories of the HKSAR and the nation with facts and outcomes — for example, how constitutional order has been upheld, opportunities have expanded in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and people’s livelihoods are improving.
Voting broadens participation and brings diverse voices into the chamber. The diverse candidates for the election this Sunday span grassroots representatives, professionals, business leaders and community services workers, many offering concrete, actionable solutions in their campaign platforms. Voting strengthens legislative quality and oversight; while choosing not to vote is forfeiting a chance to influence policy making. With broader public representation, LegCo can better complement and monitor the executive branch’s implementation of policies — helping the city to refocus on economic development, people’s livelihoods and even in-depth reforms.
Amid rapid changes in the global landscape, good governance is the prerequisite for high-quality development. For all electors — especially young people — voting will have an impact on future policies on housing, jobs and upward mobility. Electing proactive and capable legislators who can come up with practical solutions will help shorten waiting time for housing allocation, easing homeownership pressure, expanding career opportunities for young graduates, and building the momentum for Hong Kong to break new ground in socioeconomic development.
As the white paper underscores, the SAR’s democratic prospects are bright under the “one country, two systems” framework. On Sunday, all eligible voters should cast their ballot and advance Hong Kong’s distinctive style of democracy.
The author is a committee member of the All-China Youth Federation and a public policy researcher.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
