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The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:

The Electoral Affairs Commission will adopt several measures to speed up the counting of votes for the Legislative Council elections on September 10 and to increase the transparency of the count.

Geographical constituency ballot papers will be counted at five regional counting stations instead of one central counting station as in 1998, the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Justice Woo Kwok-hing, said after visiting more than 1,600 civil servants who were under training for the count.

Returning Officers will deal with questionable ballot papers in batches throughout the count rather than handling all of them towards the end of the count in one lot in the presence of candidates and their agents.

"In a bid to further boost transparency, the Commission decided to make public segment count results at regular intervals during the count," Mr Justice Woo said.

"Members of the public will be kept informed of the interim number of votes obtained by each list of candidate(s) at an interval of two to three hours as the count is in progress," he said.

A screen measuring 7.5 foot by 30 foot will be erected at the Media Centre in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to display the hourly voter turnout rates and the interim and final results of the count. This data will also be published on the election homepage, www.elections.gov.hk.

"Information about the elections will be released non-stop round the clock right from the start of polling until the end of the count. Members of the public can keep track of the elections on the scene or at home," he said.

The five regional counting stations for geographical constituencies will be set up at:

Hong Kong Island: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Phase 1, Level 5, Wan Chai

Kowloon West: Kowloon Park Indoor Games Hall

Kowloon East: Ground Floor Plaza, Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kowloon Bay

New Territories West: Shek Kip Mei Park Indoor Games Hall

New Territories East: Hall C, Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kowloon Bay

A central counting station will be set up on Level 7 of Phase 1 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to handle ballot papers for 19 functional constituencies and the Election Committee.

A film crew will be stationed at each of the six counting stations to capture their activities, which will be displayed in rotation on a screen put up at each counting station. The interim results of the geographical constituency count and all final results will also be displayed on each screen.

"Candidates, their assistants and supporters as well as members of the public present at any one of the counting stations will be able to see what is happening at the other counting stations," he said.

A total of 526 polling stations will be open to electors from 7.30 am to 10.30 pm on Sunday, September 10.

The Registration and Electoral Office has sent 3.055 million registered electors a poll card, a voting guide, a leaflet about the candidates and a pair of commemorative cards.

"Electors may call the hotline, 2891 1001, to enquire about where to vote if they do not receive the mail by the end of August," Mr Justice Woo said.

End/Friday, August 25, 2000

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