The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (December 11) congratulated all elected members of the seventh District Council Election. He said:
      
     “The seventh District Council Election concluded successfully. On behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, I extend my congratulations to the 264 elected members of the election.
      
     “This District Council Election was the first large-scale territory-wide election held after improving the district governance system and reforming the District Councils (DCs), enabling DCs to return to their positioning as district advisory and service organisations in accordance with Article 97 of the Basic Law and fully implementing the principle of ‘patriots administering Hong Kong’. It is of utmost significance.
      
     “This was a high-quality election that met the objectives of being conducted in a fair, just, clean, safe and orderly manner overall, fully demonstrating an election culture of excellence and the superiority of the reformed DCs system. Over 1.19 million registered electors cast their votes in the election. The cumulative turnout rate in the District Council geographical constituencies was 27.54 per cent, and that of the District Committees constituencies was as high as 96.9 per cent. I thank every registered elector who has cast his or her vote. It shows that they are eager to choose an excellent DC member who would be devoted to serving the community and representing their views for building a better community together.
      
     “I express my gratitude to all the civil servants and public officers, including current and retired colleagues, who have participated in the organisation of this election, as well as the non-government personnel, who have provided assistance and services. I thank the officers of the disciplined services and the Independent Commission Against Corruption, who have maintained public order and enhanced deployment for preventing risks and ensuring the safe conduct of the election.
      
     “I also thank colleagues of all bureaux and departments as well as different organisations in the community for their participation in the promotion and publicity of the election. Their full dedication and efforts in encouraging the public to vote through multiple channels and creative means have significantly contributed to this election.
      
     “The atmosphere of the election was lively, with competition in all constituencies. Candidates were required to make every effort to canvass for votes, competing against one another over their vision, achievements and performance, and pragmatically solving problems for members of the public. The newly elected DC members come from different backgrounds, sectors, strata and professions, which will bring more comprehensive and diverse perspectives to district work and better meet the interests of citizens.
      
     “The new term of DCs will introduce a monitoring mechanism of DC members’ performance, enabling citizens to continuously monitor the performance of DC members during their term of office. This can ensure that every DC member under the new system delivers due diligence and meets public expectations, providing high-quality services to citizens.
      
     “The seventh-term DCs will be composed of the elected DC members from this election, as well as appointed members and ex-officio members. The Government will announce the list of appointed members as soon as possible.
      
     “I hope that the seventh-term DCs, after assuming office on January 1, 2024, will focus on district affairs and grasp the sentiments of the community. This will enable the Government to better keep tabs on the districts, facilitate the planning and promotion of district services that better meet the needs of citizens, and improve governance at the district level, enabling us all to build a better community and maintain the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong together.
      
     “I extend my gratitude to the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) and the Registration and Electoral Office for their enormous efforts, ensuring that the election was conducted in a fair, just, clean, safe and orderly manner. As regards the failure of the Electronic Poll Register system, I have required the EAC to establish a dedicated investigation group and provide a detailed account of the investigation in the report that the EAC is required to submit to the Chief Executive within three months in accordance with the Electoral Affairs Commission Ordinance, with a view to preventing a recurrence.”