【明報專訊】THE HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (LEGCO) POLL has gone forward amid the sombre atmosphere following the Wang Fuk Court fire. The turnout rate for the geographical constituencies was slightly higher than the previous election, but the total number of voters decreased by around 30,000. New Territories North East recorded the lowest turnout rate across the ten geographical constituencies—likely, voters were dispirited by the catastrophic fire in the district.

On top of ongoing challenges such as economic transformation, Hong Kong is now grappling with the aftermath of this major disaster, raising public expectations for change. As the "most needed partners" in supporting the government's reform efforts, LegCo members must not only prioritise the welfare of the general public and avoid letting personal interests hinder progress, but they must also serve as a critical voice that dares to challenge and correct the government rather than simply acting as nodding sycophants.

This election saw a decrease of 330,000 registered voters compared to the previous poll. Alongside concerted efforts from the political and business sectors to boost voting, the political community was initially quite optimistic about achieving a significantly higher overall turnout rate. However, the Wang Fuk Court fire occurred during the campaign period and dramatically shifted the social atmosphere, occupying various government departments with disaster relief work. Planned election campaigns were either cancelled or significantly scaled back. Political figures grew cautious about the projected turnout, with some even doubting the possibility of maintaining the previous turnout of 30%. In the end, the geographical race saw a positive turnout of 31.9%, but the total number of voters still declined slightly.

Of course, it is difficult to ascertain whether the turnout rate and voter numbers would have been higher without the Wang Fuk Court blaze. Ultimately, many factors influence voter motivation. It is said that most voters from the last election were loyal to pro-establishment parties—with this in mind, the government and the business sector sought to attract the "silent majority" by implementing an array of measures aimed at voters beyond the pro-establishment camp. Unfortunately, some initiatives were halted due to the fire, hindering the efforts to appeal to these voters, which is speculated to be the reason why the total number of voters failed to reach a new high.

Chief Executive John Lee described LegCo members as the "most needed partners in reform" for the government. The new LegCo will hold its first meeting early next year, during which the government will propose its first bill and discuss how to support disaster victims and expedite the investigation into the tragedy. In addition, with the national 15th Five-Year Plan commencing next year, Hong Kong must strengthen its reform efforts to facilitate economic transformation and align with national development. As a crucial component of the SAR's governance structure, LegCo plays a vital role in promoting socio-economic reform. It must collaborate with government initiatives and at the same time effectively oversee their implementation.

As LegCo transitions to a new term, it is hoped that the new cohort can introduce new ideas and dynamics, which will further enhance the quality of debate and discussion. The public expects the elected representatives to be constructively critical of the government, willing to discern right from wrong. This not only fulfils LegCo's constitutional role but also consolidates and strengthens its credibility.

明報社評2025.12.08：改革伙伴要有主見 議員應當政府諍友

立法會換屆選舉在宏福苑火災陰霾下舉行，地區直選投票率略高於上屆，總投票人數則比上屆略減3萬多人，新界東北投票率更屬各區最低，不排除火災對區內選民投票意欲造成一定影響。

香港經歷了一場重大災難，又要面對經濟轉型等挑戰，市民對改革有更高期望。立法會議員作為政府改革路途上「最需要的伙伴」，既要以廣大市民福祉為出發點，配合政府施政，不讓小我利益拖改革後腿，同時要當政府的諍友，敢於批評指正，不會唯唯諾諾。

由於今屆立法會選舉的選民登記人數，比上屆少了33萬，加上政商界合力催谷投票，政界原先對整體投票率可以明顯高於上屆，頗為樂觀。沒料到競選期間發生宏福苑火災，社會氣氛逆轉，政府各部門忙於救災善後，原定的一系列選舉宣傳活動要麼取消，要麼大幅縮減規模。政界中人對投票率轉趨審慎，悲觀者甚至擔心能否保住上屆的三成投票率。最終出來的結果，地區直選投票率超過上屆，為31.9%，惟累計投票人數則比上屆略少。

當然，如果沒有發生宏福苑火災，投票率及投票人數會否再高一些，是一個難有確切答案的問題。說到底，影響選民投票意欲因素眾多。若說上屆選舉投票者主要屬建制派基本盤，政府和商界就今次選舉採取的多項舉措，顯然都有吸引建制派基本盤以外的「沉默大多數」選民之意，可惜部分措施因火災而擱置，結果影響到當局發動這些選民的效果，相信這也是累計投票人數未能更上一層樓的原因。

行政長官李家超形容，政府「最需要的改革伙伴，必然是立法會議員」，新一屆立法會明年初召開首次會議，政府會提出首個議案，與議員商討如何照顧好災民，以及加快找出慘劇真相。另外，國家「十五五」規劃明年開局，香港也需深化改革，推動經濟轉型、融入國家發展。立法會作為特區管治架構重要一環，對於推動社會經濟改革肩負有重要角色，既要配合政府施政，同時亦要有效監察政府。

立法會換屆，期望新一屆能夠展現新思維、新氣象，進一步提升議事論政水平。市民期望議員能夠充當政府的諍友，敢於是其是、非其非。這不僅是盡職履行立法會本身的憲制功能，也有利於鞏固和加強議會的公信力。

■ Glossary 生字 /

sombre : sad and serious

sycophant : a person who praises important or powerful people too much and in a way that is not sincere, especially in order to get sth from them

expedite : to make a process happen more quickly