The Hong Kong LegCo election is scheduled for Dec. 7, and society is concerned about whether voting arrangements will be affected by disaster relief efforts. Several political figures and scholars have expressed that while the fire is deeply saddening, society must still look forward. Conducting disaster relief and holding the election as scheduled are not contradictory. They hope everyone can transform grief into strength and, with hearts dedicated to loving and protecting Hong Kong, cast their votes for the city's future.
Vice President of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, Tam Yiu-chung, stated that the SAR government had already made thorough preparations for the election. Even if personnel now need to be diverted to assist with disaster relief, he believes it will not affect the normal conduct of the election. Moreover, postponing it by one or two weeks, or even a month, would not significantly alter the overall atmosphere of grief in society, and he sees no necessity to delay the election.
Tam emphasized that the current priority is to fully commit to disaster relief while "transforming grief into strength” and continuing to advance the election. He mentioned that during his recent visits to affected residents at Wang Fuk Court, many expressed hopes for government assistance in arranging temporary housing and follow-up support—issues that the new LegCo members will need to address. Therefore, producing a new LegCo term on schedule is also crucial for disaster relief.
Legal issues involved in postponement
Lau Siu-kai, Advisor to the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, believes the LegCo election can proceed as planned, as a delay would involve many legal and practical issues. Under the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," all candidates are patriots, so whether the election is postponed or not wouldn't create unfairness.
Barrister Athena Kung pointed out that if a "vacuum period" occurs in the Hong Kong LegCo due to a delayed election, foreign governments and external forces that often keep a close watch on Hong Kong would inevitably seize the opportunity to launch stronger attacks endangering Hong Kong's national security. She noted that while the fire is heartbreaking, both individuals and society must continue to move forward. This incident has revealed areas for review in legislation related to owners' corporations and building maintenance. To safeguard public interests, professional and accountable LegCo members are needed to complete these tasks and prevent similar tragedies. Thus, active disaster relief and the election are not conflicting, and holding the election on time is a pragmatic and responsible approach.
Executive Council member Ronny Tong, in a recent media interview, also stated that there is limited room for rescheduling the election, as a postponement involves legal issues. He cited the LegCo Ordinance, which stipulates that the election date must fall between 60 and 15 days before the start of the new LegCo term. The current council members' terms end on December 31. Tong explained that if a new council is not elected until after the current members have stepped down, it would create constitutional issues.
The previous LegCo election, originally scheduled for 2020, was postponed using the Emergency Regulations Ordinance due to COVID-19, and a request was made to the central government to extend the incumbent members' terms by one year. Tong noted that while this approach is feasible, its necessity must be considered, and it depends on the central government's opinion—it cannot be handled by Hong Kong alone.
Tong also mentioned that polling stations and volunteers have already been arranged, and rescheduling would involve extensive coordination. He believes that holding celebratory events now is inappropriate, but the election itself is a serious matter and does not conflict with memorial activities. However, if the number of fatalities is high, consideration should also be given to whether society needs time to recover.
Wong Bing-fan, Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress, stated that based on her daily on-site understanding, post-disaster work is progressing, with all affected residents of the fire temporarily relocated and gradually leaving shelter centers. With a week remaining until the LegCo election, Wong believes the election should proceed as scheduled.
She expressed deep understanding that citizens are still in mourning, and electioneering activities may be affected, making it difficult to quickly restore the election atmosphere. However, she urged citizens to move forward strongly, vote actively, and support the new LegCo in starting work as soon as possible to jointly review the incident, improve regulations, and prevent a recurrence of the tragedy.
(With input from Ta Kung Pao; English Editor: Darius)
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