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In response to press enquiries on the qualification to be nominated as a candidate for the Legislative Council Election, a spokesman for the Constitutional Affairs Bureau said today (Friday) that as stipulated clearly in the Legislative Council Ordinance, except for the 12 designated functional constituencies, a person must be a Chinese citizen who is a permanent resident of Hong Kong with no right of abode in any foreign country in order to be qualified for nomination as a candidate in the coming Legislative Council election. In the case of a candidate who has the right of abode in a foreign country, this would require the completion of the process of his giving up the right of abode of that country before the close of nomination.

The spokesman said: "The law is clear. In accordance with the Legislative Council Ordinance, a candidate has to make a declaration on his nationality and whether or not he has a right of abode in any foreign country for the purpose of his nomination".

End/Friday, April 24, 1998

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