Contested subsectors double in Hong Kong’s Election Committee poll

The number of contested subsectors in Hong Kong’s powerful Election Committee has doubled compared with 2021, in a move observers said reflected Beijing’s push to foster healthy competition within the pro-establishment camp and strengthen the legitimacy of the body responsible for selecting the city’s next leader.

The two-week nomination period ended on Tuesday, with 1,115 hopefuls signing up to run for 982 elected seats across 36 subsectors on the Election Committee. The poll will be held on November 22.

A total of 31 subsectors will hold contested elections, up from 13 in 2021, the first poll since the “patriots-only” electoral system shake-up.

Elected members will join 362 ex officio members and 156 members nominated by designated bodies to select the chief executive next March and elect 40 of the Legislative Council’s 90 members in 2029.