Liaison Office Welcomes Election Committee Polls

The liaison office has welcomed Sunday’s election committee polls, saying they marked a "major step in Hong Kong's democratic development with its own characteristics".

In a statement issued through the Xinhua news agency on Monday, the office said 1,448 new members had been selected, and that the new system had fully implemented the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong".

It went on to congratulate the successful holding of the elections, describing them as the first major poll in Hong Kong after it "returned to stability from chaos".

The office also said the new system would lead the SAR out of what it described as the "pan-politicisation whirlpool", that democracy had taken a solid step forward, and that sound governance had become truly possible.

It ended the statement by saying that it hopes the SAR will see the polls as a starting point to get back on track, and that with patriots in and disruptors out, various sectors in the city will be able to jointly accelerate Hong Kong's development and build a better future under the new electoral system.

Meanwhile, an SAR government spokesman said the elections symbolised the SAR reaching a new milestone in the implementation of "patriots administering Hong Kong" and "promoting the realisation of good governance in Hong Kong".

The spokesman added that the new system will facilitate rational interaction between the executive authorities and the legislature, and effectively enhance governance efficiency.