It is no secret that the SAR's first electoral system, open and transparent though it may be, is still full of flaws. A considerable section of the electorate feels dissatisfied with the general concept of the ballot and with the way the legislative seats have been divided up. In addition, many voters find it hard to get to grips with the complicated proportional representation arrangements for seats in the big new geographical constituencies.
It is not surprising, therefore, if all the signs point to a low turnout, in part because people simply cannot fathom the way the system works. This election should set the seal on Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, and constitute a first step towards full democracy. But, unless a last-minute publicity campaign can persuade the electorate to come out and vote on May 24, the poll risks turning into a flop in terms of popular participation.
The administration has concentrated on trying to put a positive slant on the new arrangements. Given their nature, that has not been an easy task. Indeed, the absence of solid arguments for the democratic nature of the electoral arrangements can only have further undermined the popular feeling of involvement in the poll.
Perhaps that is why a change of tone can now be detected as it appears that the Government is contemplating alterations to the procedure in time for a second election in the year 2000 if there is a strong public demand for such a move.
Even at this early stage, such a demand is evident - and not just from those who see the current arrangements as having been devised with the aim of minimising their presence in the new legislative council.
Hong Kong has a rich array of politicians known for their personalities as much as for their party allegiances. With political parties a relatively recent phenomenon, it is not surprising if the preferences of voters are based as much on personalities as on party lines. A ballot where voters cannot recognise the individual strengths of a candidate is bound to be unsatisfactory when electors want to be able to back politicians whose characters they value.
The recognition by the Hong Kong Progressive Alliance that it is not popular enough to compete for geographical seats shows the limits of the present system as a measure of popular sentiment since the party can still count on indirect voting to gain representation in the new legislative council.