Competition is expected across all three types of constituencies in Hong Kong’s coming Legislative Council election as several veterans will not seek another term and new blood is being “encouraged” to run in only the second poll held since Beijing’s “patriots-only” electoral revamp, the Post has learned.

While age has been cited as a reason in some lawmakers’ decision to step away, it is not a factor for others as Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, 75, will seek another term, sources told the Post.

In the past three weeks, four of the 12 Legco members aged 70 or above have announced they will not seek another term, including Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, 76, and Chan Kin-por, 71, who announced on Saturday they will not run again.

The Legco poll on December 7 will be the second since Beijing overhauled the electoral system in 2021 to ensure only “patriots” can hold political power in the city.

Ninety seats will be returned, with 20 from the geographical constituencies, 30 from the trade-based functional constituencies and 40 chosen by the powerful Election Committee, which is dominated by Beijing loyalists.