Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang said on Tuesday he hopes the 39 election forums for candidates to present their platforms ahead of December 7 polling day will allow voters to get to know the candidates better and help them make better choices.

He said arrangements for the first forum – which was for candidates in the New Territories South West geographical constituency race – had been smooth.

It was the first time that the government had staged such a large-scale election forum, Tsang pointed out, adding that the administration will gain experience from it.

"We mainly hope residents and voters can get to know more about the candidates and become more interested in the election while also carrying out the event in a safe and orderly manner," Tsang said.

"We have randomly arranged for voters and residents from respective districts to join the forums. We have also arranged for live broadcasts so all Hong Kong residents can follow the election closely."

Tsang went on to say that each candidate from geographical constituencies could be accompanied by a campaign team of up to 50 members, but he was not worried that such an arrangement would create chaos as the contingents would have been briefed on what was expected of them.

He stressed that Legislative Council elections are crucial to the SAR's good governance and hoped that everyone will cast ballots on December 7.

The forums will run until November 30.