Election Committee subsector election news on Internet

News about candidates standing for a seat on the Election Committee will be released on the Internet and updated every evening throughout the nomination period running from tomorrow (May 31) to June 7.

Members of the public may visit the website, www.eac.gov.hk, to find out the name, occupation and political affiliation of candidates running in the Election Committee subsector elections scheduled for Sunday, July 9, a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office said.

"The Office will also compile a leaflet containing the personal particulars of candidates from each subsector and their messages to voters. The leaflet and a poll card will be mailed to each of the 177,000 voters by the end of June," he said.

Any registered geographical constituency elector who is a registered voter for a subsector, or who has a substantial connection with a subsector, is eligible to run as a candidate for that subsector.

Each nomination must be subscribed by at least five registered voters in the subsector a nominee is contesting and a deposit of $1,000 must be paid.

Nomination forms are available at any District Offices; the Returning Officer's office, the Registration and Electoral Office on the 10th floor, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, and its website.

Candidates must hand in their nomination form in person to the Returning Officer no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, June 7.

The spokesman urged eligible persons from various trades, professions, labour groups and district-based organisations to hand in their nomination paper as early as possible so that any mistakes found in their nomination form may be rectified before the deadline.

A total of 664 Election Committee members will be returned from 35 subsectors on July 9. Each subsector has seats ranging from 11 to 41 on the Election Committee. The elected members will join 40 members nominated by six designated bodies of the religious subsector and 96 ex-officio members (Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress and Legislative Council members) to form the Election Committee.

The Election Committee will then elect six Legislative Council members in the Legislative Council general election on September 10.

Enquiries about the nomination exercise may be made with the Returning Officer or the election hotline - 2891 1001.

End/Tuesday, May 30, 2000