Forums a sign of Hong Kong’s new ‘quality election culture’
While the city’s culture is evolving, what remains unchanged is the need to return capable lawmakers to better serve the public
From staging electoral forums to extending voting hours, the Hong Kong government is leaving no stone unturned in trying to boost the turnout for the Legislative Council poll. The stakes are so high that officials and candidates have to do whatever it takes to ensure the December ballot has a satisfactory outcome.
Titled “Patriots Collaborate for Good Governance”, the series of official forums is part of the government measures to nurture a new “quality election culture”. Compared to previous forums organised and streamed by electronic media, the official ones might not drive as much public attention as in previous polls, but the government is going all in to promote public awareness about the need to vote.
Whether such an approach will have a positive or negative impact on voting sentiment remains to be seen. The new culture has been well received, with some saying they could focus more on expounding visions and platforms rather than trading insults and attacks. Some also found the non-adversarial style more acceptable.