A resident smiles as she is offered promotional materials from volunteers manning a mobile resource center to promote the District Council Election during the "District Council Election Fun Day" in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, on Dec 9, 2023. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

Reforming the district councils will benefit the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by choosing capable candidates who’ll help to upgrade the people’s well-being.

This is the view of residents who turned up on Saturday for various activities held across the city on the eve of the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election.

Urging voters to cast their ballots, Lee said various activities were being held on Saturday to boost the public’s awareness and the atmosphere of the polls

Former police officer Li Man-tung, 66, was among those aspiring to see changes as he attended a photo exhibition entitled “Mission” hosted by the Security Bureau, at Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay.

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He’s optimistic and supportive of the district council reforms, comparing Sunday’s elections with the last district polls held amid the social unrest in 2019.

Li said activities like the photo exhibition, featuring stands put up by the Hong Kong Police Force, Government Flying Service, the Civil Aid Service and other SAR government agencies, will help to improve the public’s understanding of the city’s disciplinary forces, and lift the election vibe.  

There were posters, models and virtual reality booths to introduce the duties and responsibilities of the disciplinary forces. The exhibition was among a host of events held on District Council Election Fun Day, including carnivals, sport activities, parent-child activities, mobile game stalls, concerts, a drone show, and free admission to museums and other shows.

Another resident, Lee Siu expressed hopes that capable district councilors will be elected to upgrade people’s livelihood, particularly, better medical services.

Finance industry practitioner Wong Man-ting, 35, who visited an exhibition entitled “District Council Election into the Community” in Yau Tong, said she hoped this year’s reformed election will improve the people’s welfare.

John Cheung, a 40-year-old civil servant, went to Kung Fu Corner held in Kowloon Park held as part of the “Fun in Sports & DC Election”, which hosted various sports and games for participants.

Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission Justice David Lok (center) and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai (first right) accompany Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (second right) in inspecting the District Council geographical constituency polling station of the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election at Lingnan Secondary School on Dec 9, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

He said reforming the district advisory body will ensure that the candidates are capable of working to achieve their goals through action, instead of those who are running, based purely on their political beliefs and without any pragmatic policies to improve people's livelihood as in previous elections.

Cheung hopes the new district councils can carry out its original mission to tangibly improve people’s lives. He would like to see improvements made to services for the elderly, access to public facilities and the community’s welfare.

Sunday’s election will see 399 candidates vying for 176 seats in the District Committee constituencies, and 88 seats in the geographical constituencies

Cecilia Fong Man-yuk, a 53-year-old housewife, said she would like to see Hong Kong’s economy strengthen after the elections as the city has been in economic decline since 2019 due to the social instability and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu visited a polling station at Heng Fa Chuen in Chai Wan on Saturday morning. He was briefed on the voting process and the allocation of manpower, and told that voters in the geographic constituencies can chose only one candidate, or the ballot would be deemed invalid.

Lee said in a social media post he’s confident that Sunday’s election would be conducted smoothly.  

Urging voters to cast their ballots, Lee said various activities were being held on Saturday to boost the public’s awareness and the atmosphere of the polls.

Several senior SAR officials and leaders of various sectors of the community also called on electors to fulfill their civil responsibility and vote.

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Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said district councils are important advisory bodies to help the government feel the pulse of the community.

Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission Justice David Lok (second left) and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai (third left) accompany Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (fourth left), in inspecting the District Council geographical constituency polling station of the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election at Lingnan Secondary School on Dec 9, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

Sunday’s election will see 399 candidates vying for 176 seats in the District Committee constituencies, and 88 seats in the geographical constituencies. Polling stations will open from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm on Sunday.

The rest of the 470 district council seats will be filled by 179 appointed members and 27 ex-officio members. They will hold office for four years from Jan 1, 2024.