12 h. ago Legco election hopefuls scale back campaigning in Hong Kong fire aftermath

Candidates started campaigning again this week for Hong Kong’s coming Legislative Council election, but opted for a more subdued approach, including fewer street booths and volunteers, in the aftermath of last week’s deadly fire in Tai Po. Some Legco hopefuls also unveiled new policy platforms in the run-up to Sunday’s poll, such as calling for a thorough investigation into the fire and enhanced building safety oversight. As of Friday, two major political parties also said they were facing...

Politics

25 h. ago Legco poll a chance for Hong Kong to show its resilience after Tai Po fire

Last week’s deadly fire has cast a heavy shadow over Hong Kong, reminding us of the fragility of life and the need for solidarity in hard times. The central government has responded swiftly with its full attention and support. Aid and sympathy have poured in from across China, underscoring that Hong Kong’s pain is shared. The cause of the fire must be investigated and learned from in due course, but for now the priority is resilience. The announcement that the Legislative Council election will...

Events

45 h. ago Beijing confident of Hong Kong’s ability to handle Legco election, fire aftermath

A Beijing official in Hong Kong has voiced confidence in the city’s ability to handle both the coming Legislative Council election and the aftermath of the deadly Tai Po fire, calling local authorities’ decision to proceed with the poll respectful of the constitutional order. Liu Guangyuan, deputy director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, said on Thursday that the local government had adopted the “most responsible attitude” by holding the election on Sunday as scheduled, even after last...

Politics

4 d. ago Hong Kong Legco poll to ‘go ahead as planned’ as fire recovery on track

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council election will be held as scheduled on December 7, as recovery and rebuilding work from the city’s deadliest blaze in Tai Po is proceeding largely smoothly, a source has told the Post. The insider said the decision to proceed with the poll as planned was also based on legal considerations, as postponing it could risk creating a constitutional crisis after December 31, when the current council’s term ends. “A lot of legislative work also needs to be done. The...

Events

4 d. ago Hong Kong Legco poll to ‘go ahead as planned’ with fire recovery on track

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council election will be held as scheduled on December 7, as recovery and rebuilding work from the city’s deadliest blaze in decades is proceeding largely smoothly, a source has told the Post. The insider said the decision to proceed with the poll as planned was also based on legal considerations, as postponing it could risk creating a constitutional crisis after December 31, when the current council’s term ends. “A lot of legislative work also needs to be done. The...

Events

9 d. ago Hong Kong to offer discounts, free pools and museums to boost Legco turnout

Hong Kong authorities will roll out a range of freebies and promotions for residents over the weekend of the coming Legislative Council election, including complimentary access to swimming pools and museums, as part of efforts to boost voter turnout. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki announced on Wednesday that voters would also get thank-you cards after casting their ballots. The city’s No 2 official said that the government would offer free access to public facilities, as well as gifts or...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong aims to boost Legco voters with HK$5 million worth of offers and perks

Both Hong Kong authorities and a major developer are offering residents an array of discounts and perks during the Legislative Council election weekend, including complimentary entry to swimming pools and museums, in a bid to boost voter turnout. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki announced on Wednesday that voters would also receive a thank-you card upon casting their ballot, redeemable for discounts and coupons totalling HK$5 million (US$643,000) across Chow Tai Fook Group’s dining, insurance...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong to boost Legco voter turnout with HK$5 million in offers and perks

Both Hong Kong authorities and a major developer are offering residents an array of discounts and perks during the Legislative Council election weekend, including complimentary entry to swimming pools and museums, in a bid to boost voter turnout. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki announced on Wednesday that voters would also receive a thank-you card upon casting their ballot, which could be redeemed for discounts and coupons worth a total of HK$5 million (US$643,000) across Chow Tai Fook Group’s...

Politics

1 week ago Bomb disposal chief urges Indonesian residents to vote in Hong Kong Legco poll

A senior Hong Kong police officer has appealed to Indonesian residents in the city to take part in and support the coming Legislative Council election as part of the government’s latest effort to boost voter turnout. Raymond Suryanto Chin-chiu, head of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau, made the appeal in Indonesian in a video released on Sunday by Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan on her social media account. “Dear Indonesian friends in Hong Kong, if you are a...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong steps up voter turnout efforts with video targeting minority residents

Hong Kong authorities have ramped up efforts to drive voter turnout for the coming Legislative Council election, including releasing a new video featuring a bomb disposal chief urging ethnic minority residents to cast their ballots. Raymond Suryanto Chin-chiu, head of the explosive ordnance disposal bureau, made the appeal in Indonesian in a video released on Sunday via Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan’s social media account. “Dear Indonesian friends in Hong Kong, if you...

Politics

2 w. ago Beijing vows ‘zero tolerance’ ahead of Legco poll as Hong Kong’s ICAC charges 3

Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong has pledged to adopt a “zero tolerance” approach in safeguarding next month’s Legislative Council election, as the city’s anti-corruption agency charged three people for allegedly inciting others to boycott the poll. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) charged three individuals for allegedly reposting online messages that urged others not to vote and, on Thursday, issued arrest warrants for two men suspected of making such posts. The...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong’s MTR Corp to run earlier trains on Legco election day

Hong Kong’s railway giant will operate its first train earlier on December 7 to support preparations for polling stations ahead of the Legislative Council election, which will feature extended voting hours this year. Writing in a Chinese-language newspaper on Tuesday, Jacob Kam Chak-pui, CEO of the MTR Corporation, pledged that the railway operator would actively cooperate with the government’s arrangements for the election to encourage and support residents in casting their votes. “In response...

Politics

2 w. ago Man arrested for allegedly urging Hongkongers to boycott Legco election

Hong Kong national security police have arrested a man on suspicion of posting social media messages urging others not to vote or to cast invalid ballots in next month’s Legislative Council election. Police said on Tuesday they first detected a suspicious account in September last year that repeatedly published messages deemed to have seditious intent, including inciting hatred and contempt against the government, judiciary and law enforcement agencies. Superintendent Chan On-ming of the...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong’s Legco election should priortise substance over spectacle

These are interesting times in Hong Kong politics. Rarely has the city seen the government get so involved in galvanising voters ahead of the Legislative Council election. These things have traditionally been the work of political parties and groups. And that is one prominent feature of the development of Hong Kong’s “patriots-only” political system. Before the overhaul of the election system, voter turnout was a barometer of sorts for the election outcome. Conventional wisdom was that the...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong’s Legco election should prioritise substance over spectacle

These are interesting times in Hong Kong politics. Rarely has the city seen the government get so involved in galvanising voters ahead of the Legislative Council election. These things have traditionally been the work of political parties and groups. And that is one prominent feature of the development of Hong Kong’s “patriots-only” political system. Before the overhaul of the election system, voter turnout was a barometer of sorts for the election outcome. Conventional wisdom was that the...

Politics

2 w. ago What are Hong Kong Legco election candidates prioritising in their manifestos?

Integration with mainland China and boosting Hong Kong’s sluggish economy have dominated the manifestos of candidates contesting functional and Election Committee constituencies in the Legislative Council election, while those running for directly elected seats have prioritised livelihood concerns, the Post has found. A check by the Post of all 161 candidates’ manifestos on the government’s election website also found that only 38 of them, or 23 per cent, provided English versions. Of the 161...

Politics

2 w. ago 2 Hong Kong men arrested over vandalising Legco election campaign posters

Hong Kong police have arrested two men for allegedly vandalising campaign materials for the coming Legislative Council election. Police said on Saturday that officers found three vandalised election campaign posters hanging from the Tong Mi Road footbridge in Mong Kok on Thursday. After an investigation, officers arrested two local men, aged 29 and 34, in Mong Kok on Friday on suspicion of criminal damage, the force said. Police said the two suspects were being detained as part of the...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong election forum takes pause after candidate collapses mid

A Hong Kong government-run Legislative Council election forum was forced to take a pause on Saturday afternoon after a candidate collapsed on stage while introducing herself. District councillor Lee Ching-har, who is a candidate in the Hong Kong Island East constituency, was midway through her introduction when she collapsed and had to be taken away by first responders. A Post reporter saw Lee, a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress for Hong Kong (DAB), exclaim...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong Legco election forum presses on after candidate collapses mid

A Hong Kong minister has defended the decision to proceed with a government-run Legislative Council election forum on Saturday afternoon after a candidate collapsed on stage while introducing herself. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, speaking after the conclusion of the debate with candidates for the Hong Kong Island East constituency, said that the 10 forums held so far had achieved their expected goal of raising awareness about the various potential...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong to open 4 new types of polling stations to boost Legco election turnout

Hong Kong will introduce four new types of designated polling stations to make it easier for civil servants, medical workers, ethnic minority groups and elderly and disabled residents in care homes to vote in the Legislative Council election, while voting will be extended by two hours to 11.30pm. Announcing the moves on Friday, David Lok Kai-hong, chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, said the new measures sought to address calls by society to help those working on election day who might...

Politics