Chief Executive John Lee today convened a cross-bureau and interdepartmental steering meeting to discuss the preparatory work for the District Council Ordinary Election (DCOE) to be held on December 10.

He received briefings by officials on the preparatory work for the polling of the seventh DCOE and advised on the overall plan.

Mr Lee said this election is the first major citywide election after improving the district governance system and reforming the District Councils (DCs) and is of particular significance.

He urged various bureaus and departments to ensure that the election will be conducted in an open, fair, honest, safe and orderly manner.

“They should endeavour their best in their preparation to achieve four targets: to ensure the polling and counting processes be completed efficiently, to prevent corrupt and illegal conduct, to deliver their best at publicity work and to encourage the public to cast their votes.”

​Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki and other senior officials as well as heads and representatives of the relevant bureaus and departments, reported their progress and co-ordination efforts in the election preparations.

Mr Lee instructed various bureaus and departments to continue to step up their publicity efforts, as launching activities through diverse platforms and creative means targeting all sectors of the community would motivate the public to cast their votes on polling day.

Such promotional efforts should enable members of the public to fully understand that improvements to the district governance system and reforms to the DCs are highly relevant to their livelihood and important to improving district governance, he added.

The Chief Executive emphasised that the civil service should shoulder the responsibility of supporting and implementing the policies relating to the DC election.

He called on them to lead by example and fulfil their civic responsibility by casting their votes on December 10 to elect DC members who have the capability and dedication.

This will assist bureaus and departments to better grasp the pulse of the community, provide more effective services to meet people’s needs and benefit the community as a result, Mr Lee noted.

The Chief Executive reminded bureaus and departments to stay vigilant and resolve any risks, including disruptions and interference, attacks and smearing, and even acts of “soft resistance” against the election.

He urged the government team to adopt the bottom-line thinking, be well-prepared and take prompt action to handle contingencies effectively, so as to ensure the election can be smoothly completed in a fair, just, clean, safe and orderly manner.