EC polls pave the way for a better SAR

Executive Council Convener Bernard Charnwut Chan, who voted in the insurance subsector, said members of the Election Committee will be the "gatekeepers" for other major elections in Hong Kong.

The city's next chief executive and new LegCo members nominated by the committee must be the "right people who can serve Hong Kong", he said.

Their priority as patriots is to prevent the kind of chaos and violence that engulfed the city in 2019 and ultimately hurt its economy and people's livelihood. At the same time, they should have the vision to fully cooperate with the Chinese mainland for the continued prosperity of Hong Kong, Chan said.

"I think we all recognize that Hong Kong's future is very much in line with the country's prosperity. So, our country definitely needs to choose the right people who are able to bridge Hong Kong with the mainland," said Chan.

Sunday's elections saw a 100 percent turnout in three subsectors — legal, technology and innovation, and architectural, surveying, planning, and landscape.

Solicitor Ambrose Lau Hon-chuen, a candidate in the legal subsector, said he expects all members to "dutifully" decide who is best suited to lead Hong Kong in the chief executive election to be held in March.