EC Members Play Down Voter Turnout

Election Committee members on Sunday played down the voter turnout in the Legislative Council elections, saying people should not dwell on the figure and it would be totally normal if it was low.

Members of the 1,500-strong committee can choose 40 of the 90 lawmakers who will make up Hong Kong's new-look legislature under the sweeping changes introduced by Beijing earlier this year.

The vice-chairwoman of the Basic Law Committee, Maria Tam, said people shouldn't compare the revamped electoral system with the one in 2016.

She said that's because a proportional representation system was used then; there were more directly elected seats; and no social distancing restrictions on campaigning.

"People shouldn't worry about the turnout rate, or dwell on the matter as there's no precedent," she told reporters after casting her votes at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.

She added that as long as people come out and vote, the turnout rate would be high.

Lo Man-tuen, vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, said a high or low turnout is not necessarily related to the new electoral system.

He said a low turnout is normal as "anti-China disruptors" were excluded from the election and so their supporters aren't thrilled to cast their ballots.

Lo expects the turnout rate on Sunday to be around 30 percent.

Despite that, he urged people to come out to vote, saying it would be a "defeat" for the pro-establishment camp if its candidates take all 90 seats, as that would violate the principle of having a diversely representative Legco.

Hong Kong's former head of the World Health Organisation, Margaret Chan, said she believed the election would help the SAR implement the one country, two systems principle and achieve democracy in the long term.

"The new election system is going to be very good for Hong Kong, for Hong Kong's long-term development, and for Hong Kong's democracy to take a step by step approach," she said.

Former chief secretary Henry Tang said he was looking for people who are committed to serving Hong Kong and that he had done his homework on the platforms of the 51 candidates standing for the 40 Election Committee seats.

As of 11.30am, 840 Election Committee members - or 58 percent - had cast their votes.