36 HK Deputies To National People's Congress Elected

An election for the 14th term of Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) was held on Thursday, with 36 people chosen.

The election committee gave out and received back 1,273 ballots, with 1,267 of them valid and six invalid.

Nancy Ip, the president of the University of Science and Technology got the most votes, receiving 1,254 out of 1,267 valid ballots from the election committee.

All 15 candidates seeking re-election, including Brave Chan and Maggie Chan, were successful.

Speaking after the results were announced, the secretary general of the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) Yang Zhenwu, said the elected deputies have the important responsibility of implementing "One Country, Two Systems".

Yang added that the election was conducted smoothly and fairly and "fully carried forward democracy."

New faces include sports sector lawmaker Kenneth Fok who got 1,248 votes, former housing secretary Frank Chan who secured 1,206 votes and DAB chairwoman Starry Lee who won 1,243 votes.

Lee vowed to communicate the people's views to Beijing and to tell some good Hong Kong stories.

"After taking office, I shall keep my promises and uphold the spirit of working for the people. I will strive to tell good stories of Hong Kong and the nation, make use of 'One Country, Two Systems', promote Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, and bring people's voices to the legislature," she said.

Those who didn't win an NPC place included vice president of the Federation of Trade Unions Tse Oi Hung, Andrew Fan - the son of former NPCSC member Rita Fan - and Po Leung Kuk chairman Daniel Chan.

Meanwhile, spokeswoman of the election committee Maria Tam said the list of elected delegates has been submitted to the NPC's Candidate Eligibility Review Committee for review, and the results of this process will be announced after their candidacies have been approved.

The terms of the 36 delegates will be for five years, and a standing committee representative will be picked in March next year.