Hong Kong's Electoral Affairs Commission respects government's decision to postpone LegCo election

HONG KONG - The Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday expressed understanding and respect over the HKSAR government's decision to postpone the 2020 Legislative Council (LegCo) General Election of the HKSAR.

"The EAC learned that in view of the severe epidemic situation of COVID-19, the government has decided to postpone the 2020 LegCo election. The EAC understands and respects the government's decision, and will coordinate on the practical arrangements for postponement," said a spokesman for the EAC.

HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Friday that the 2020 LegCo election, originally scheduled for Sept. 6, 2020, will be postponed for one year.

The EAC wrote to the chief executive on July 28, expressing concerns over the impacts of the COVID-19 on the election, the spokesman noted.

Even though the Registration and Electoral Office of the HKSAR government implements various disease prevention measures at polling stations with its utmost efforts, large group gathering is still unavoidable, the spokesman pointed out.

The contact and interaction between the polling staff and electors are diametrically contrary to the advice of maintaining social distancing, and it is also hard for the staff at the counting station to observe social distancing, he added.

The spokesman reiterated that the EAC is an independent, apolitical and impartial body which decides on and supervises public election matters in accordance with actual and objective considerations and related legislation.