LegCo by-election period to begin tomorrow

The election period for the Legislative Council by-election (Election Committee) will start tomorrow (August 2) as nominations for candidature will be called in the coming two weeks up to August 15.

The by-election will be held on Sunday, September 16, to fill a vacancy in the membership of the Legislative Council, a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office said.

The Electoral Affairs Commission has set up a complaints hotline, 2827 7251, to handle complaints from members of the public about possible breaches of its Guidelines on Election-related Activities.

The spokesman advised people intending to contest the by-election to hand in their nomination form in person to the Returning Officer, third floor, East Wing, Central Government Offices, Lower Albert Road, during office hours from 9 am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday and from 9 am to noon on Saturday. The deadline for nominations is 5 pm on Wednesday, August 15.

Any registered geographical constituency elector aged 21 or above who has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for the three years immediately before the nomination, and who is a Chinese citizen with no right of abode in a foreign country, is eligible to stand for the by-election.

A candidate must enlist the support of at least 10 members of the Election Committee as subscribers to his nomination, and must pay an election deposit of $25,000 when handing in his nomination form to the Returning Officer.

Nomination forms are available at the Registration and Electoral Office on the 10th floor, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, and the 10th floor, Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai, and the Returning Officer's office on the third floor, East Wing, Central Government Offices, Lower Albert Road. The form can be downloaded from the website, www.reo.gov.hk.

Members of the public may call the election hotline, 2891 1001, to enquire about arrangements for the by-election and may visit the above website to obtain more information.

Earlier in July, the Electoral Affairs Commission sent letters to Election Committee members consulting them about the polling and counting arrangements for the by-election. It proposed that a polling cum counting station be set up at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. It also recommended that the poll be conducted from 9 am to 7 pm.

The Election Committee members are requested to express their views by August 15 before the Commission makes a final decision on the arrangements.

End/Wednesday, August 1, 2001