Editorial | Forums a sign of Hong Kong’s new ‘quality election culture’

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.

As with the overhaul of the electoral system, the election culture is also evolving. What remains unchanged is the need to return capable lawmakers to better serve the public. In the absence of other non-official forums, there are all the more reasons for the aspirants to make the most of the government ones. This includes engaging in healthy, rational and informed debates to enable voters to figure out who deserves their support. This is especially important as a considerable number of contestants are new to politics and elections.