China News Service, Hong Kong, September 19 (Reporter Zhang Xiaoxi) The general election of the 2021 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Election Committee (Elections Committee) subsector will be held on the 19th.

The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam told reporters after inspecting polling stations that morning that this election is of great significance. It is the first election after improving the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's electoral system and implementing the principle of "Patriots Ruling Hong Kong". It will be the future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Legislative Council election and the Chief Executive election have laid a solid foundation.

  According to the election arrangements, the general election of the Election Committee subsectors will start at 9 am on the 19th and end at 6 pm. There are 5 general polling stations and one dedicated polling station in Hong Kong.

Before the voting began, Carrie Lam and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Zeng Guowei, visited the ticketing station at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

  Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that the general election of the Election Committee subsectors has multiple significance and brings a new situation to Hong Kong.

For a long period of time in the past, some anti-China rioters in Hong Kong used Hong Kong's public elections to enter the political system, making the Legislative Council "pan-politicized" and hindering Hong Kong's economic and people's livelihood development.

Improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region can ensure that "patriots govern Hong Kong," and it can also bring Hong Kong back to the original aspiration of "one country, two systems".

  She pointed out that the new electoral committee under the improvement of the electoral system has been expanded and empowered to increase the number of people from 1,200 to 1,500. Many sectors that have not had the opportunity to participate in the election through the electoral committee before have the opportunity to participate this time. , Including the representatives of Hong Kong members of grassroots organizations, fellow associations, and national groups, etc., in line with balanced participation and broad representation.

  Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also said that members of the Election Committee have important responsibilities, and will be responsible for electing the candidates for the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, some members of the Legislative Council, and nominating candidates for the Chief Executive and Legislative Council.

The Election Committee itself plays a very important role as a gatekeeper, and constitutes a double gate with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Candidate Qualification Committee.

It is believed that the election of the Election Committee will be held smoothly in a fair, just, open and honest situation.

  According to the arrangement of the new election system, among the 1,500 seats of the Election Committee, a total of 325 people have been ruled to be validly registered as ex officio members of the Election Committee, and 156 people have been ruled to be validly nominated as members of the Election Committee.

In addition, 603 candidates were automatically elected, and 412 candidates competed for 364 seats on the 19th.

(over)