The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is confident that the seventh-term Legislative Council, which is formed after the electoral system has been improved, can effectively enhance the governance efficiency of the Hong Kong SAR and open a new chapter on good administration and governance.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam made the statement after the polls of the 2021 Legislative Council General Election closed today, noting that it is an important election to implement the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" and carries far-reaching meaning.

Mrs Lam said the clear requirement mandating that candidates should be patriots is legitimate, which is the core element in the implementation of "one country, two systems".

“A total of 153 candidates with different backgrounds and political views contended for 90 seats, which is testimony to the broad representation, political inclusiveness, balanced participation and fair competition of the election.

“This is the first time there has been no uncontested seat in the election. Candidates canvassed for voters' support in a pragmatic manner by their manifestos and participating in various election forums and electioneering activities.

“I commend the hard work of each candidate during the election period.”

In addition to pointing out that the election is of a large scale with intricate operations, Mrs Lam said is composed of the Election Committee constituency, the geographical constituencies and the functional constituencies, and the preparation has involved extensive manpower and various resources.

She stressed that the polls were conducted in an open, fair and honest manner and the overall process was generally smooth.

Various enhancement measures were implemented to provide convenience to voters, including arranging a special queue for seniors, pregnant women and people with disabilities, she added.

Mrs Lam noted that number of ballot paper issuing desks was also significantly increased while the Electronic Poll Register system was used to issue ballot papers and the results were satisfactory.

With the full assistance of the relevant Mainland authorities, the operation of the polling stations set up at the boundary control points for registered electors in the Mainland to cast their votes was also smooth.

“I sincerely thank more than 1.3 million voters who have cast their votes today. Their votes are not only for choosing their own LegCo members, they are also a show of support for the improved electoral system and their aspirations for effective enhancement of the governance efficiency of the Hong Kong SAR as well as the resulting economic development and livelihood improvements.

“The Hong Kong SAR Government also expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the organisations which have encouraged their staff members to cast their votes, or proactively assisted the Government in promoting the election.”

The Chief Executive thanked the colleagues from various units for their hard work, including Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Barnabas Fung and commission members Arthur Luk and Daniel Shek.

She also expressed thanks to the Registration & Electoral Office and the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau as well as about 40,000 government personnel who helped with the election and over 12,000 other officers on duty.

“I look forward to co-operating sincerely with members of the new term of LegCo to promote together Hong Kong's economic development and its integration into the overall development of the nation as well as improvements to people's livelihoods to build a better Hong Kong and contribute to the country.”