In this Aug 23, 2021 photo, a man (left) disembarks from a Star Ferry in Hong Kong. (ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP)

Nearly 70 percent of Hong Kong residents interviewed in a survey said they are optimistic that the upcoming Election Committee elections will produce results that better represent various subsectors and the overall interests of society.

Sunday’s election will see 412 Election Committee candidates vying for 364 seats from 13 subsectors

The poll was conducted by a public opinion research center for Hong Kong-based Bauhinia Magazine a week ahead of the Election Committee election, which will take place on Sunday.

The 1,500-member committee is responsible for nominating candidates for Hong Kong chief executive and the 90-member Legislative Council, and electing the chief executive and 40 LegCo members. The State Council will subsequently ratify the chief executive’s election.

This is the first large-scale election to be held in Hong Kong since the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the nation’s top legislature, adopted a decision in March to improve the city’s electoral system.

Sunday’s election will see 412 Election Committee candidates vying for 364 seats from 13 subsectors. The remaining seats for 27 subsectors are filled automatically, with some being ex officio members.

ALSO READ: HK braces for Election Committee polls for better future

Among respondents who said they are paying attention to the election, 70 percent felt that the quality of the candidates and their campaign platforms has improved this year compared with the previous terms.

Under the new electoral system, the vast majority of the candidates have distinct and diverse industry backgrounds and have put forward pragmatic and targeted political platforms during the campaign, according to the survey report.

The survey results showed that nearly 70 percent of the public believes that the new elected members would reduce political disputes in Hong Kong and sincerely speak for the industries and represents the overall interests of the community. More than 80 percent of Hong Kong residents believe the candidate Eligibility Review Committee, established under the revised election system, will effectively ensure the implementation of the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”.

The survey was conducted via telephone interviews from Sept 6-12, with 1,508 respondents.