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A new chapter for good governance

The first Legislative Council (LegCo) election after the enhancement of the electoral system has been conducted smoothly. I congratulate the 90 candidates for being elected as members of the Seventh LegCo. The composition of the new LegCo shows a wide representativeness and balanced participation, which could better represent the voices and views of people from different strata and sectors. I look forward to building a close working relationship with the new LegCo, with a view to driving further development and establishing good governance for Hong Kong.

This election is competitive, fair, open, just and clean. The right of vote of the electorate and the right to be elected of the candidate are safeguarded under the law. More than 1.35 million and 70 000 voters casted their votes in the geographical and functional constituencies respectively. For the Election Committee constituency, the voting rate even reached 98%. These reflected citizens’ wish and expectations for the work of the new LegCo. I believe that every newly elected LegCo member will work hard and to deliver their best for the benefit of our people and to address their needs.

Under the new paradigm, this LegCo election had been able to get back on its ultimate aim to focus on meritocracy and serving the people. In some foreign cases, when an election has led to vicious partisanship and long term political standstill, the genuine demand of the people could hardly be addressed effectively, which would in turn undermine the credibility and legitimacy of the system in the long run.

This first LegCo election under the improved electoral system shows that our election culture has got back on the right track, laying a sustainable foundation for high quality and solid democracy. After all, the key purpose of the improved electoral system is to enable patriots with passion to serve Hong Kong, contributing to Hong Kong’s development and addressing people’s needs. I look forward to working hand in hand with members of the new LegCo in delivering better and concrete outcomes for our people.

To achieve a steady democratic development for Hong Kong, we need to have a better understanding on our past development path in determining our future development direction. Today the State Council Information Office timely promulgated the white paper on "Hong Kong: Democratic Progress Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems”, which provided a detailed and systematic historical account of Hong Kong's democratic development.

As pointed out in the white paper, there were basically no democratic development when Hong Kong was ruled by the Britain. Even when the British government ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1976, a reservation was particularly made to exclude Hong Kong from the application of the article of establishing periodic elections. Only until Britain realised the determination of our Country to resume sovereignty over Hong Kong, it started the so-called “political reform” with a view to sustaining its influence in Hong Kong.

On the other hand, since Hong Kong’s return to Motherland, the Central Government has been supporting and safeguarding Hong Kong’s constitutional and democratic development in accordance to the Constitution and HKSAR Basic Law. The Central Government is the designer, establisher, defender and the promoter of HKSAR’s democracy and has the ultimate authority over Hong Kong’s electoral system. Any “constitutional reform” with an attempt to reject the Central Government to exercise overall jurisdiction over the HKSAR is not only unconstitutional and against the requirement of the Basic Law, but will also put Hong Kong in a wrong direction in democratic development, undermining the long term stability and development of Hong Kong. Since the implementation of Hong Kong National Security Law and the improvement of the electoral system, Hong Kong’s constitutional development has been able to get back on the constitutional, legal and right path, which best suits Hong Kong’s actual situation. With the new LegCo to be established, Hong Kong is going to start a new chapter in which we will be able to improve the quality of democracy, consolidate the constitutional order, implement the executive-led system and establish good governance for the wellbeing of the people.

Hong Kong has reached a new milestone with the establishment of the new LegCo. In this journey of new era, let us join hands together to take Hong Kong forward and proactively contribute to our Country’s development towards prosperity.

20 December 2021