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The Registration and Electoral Office is making good progress in preparations for the Legislative Council by-election set for December 10 to fill a seat in the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency.

District Officer (Eastern) has been appointed the Returning Officer to deal with nominations and electoral matters as a two-week nomination exercise is starting this Friday, October 20.

Nomination forms are available at any District Offices, the Registration and Electoral Office, 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai and the web site, www.info.gov.hk/eac. Information about nominees will be updated and published on the web site every evening during the nomination period.

"Any registered elector aged 21 or above who has ordinarily lived 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 run in the by-election," a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office said.

Every candidate must enlist the support of at least 100 registered electors of the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency, who must personally sign in a nomination form.

A completed nomination form and an election deposit of $50,000 must be handed in by a candidate in person to the Returning Officer on the 11/F, Eastern Law Courts Building, 29 Tai On Street, Sai Wan Ho during the nomination period running from October 20 to 5 pm on November 2.

"We have already identified about 94 venues in various schools, community centres, indoor games halls and post offices for use as polling stations. Most of them are the same places as in the September elections," the spokesman said.

"Each of the 627,000 registered electors on Hong Kong Island will be assigned to a polling station near his registered home address. They will be informed of where to vote by the end of November," he said.

"A larger counting station will be made available this time. Hall 7B of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Phase 1, Wan Chai, has been booked for this purpose," he added.

A complaints hotline, 2827 7656, is being manned by Registration and Electoral Office staff to receive complaints about breaches of the Guidelines on Election-related Activities.

Enquiries about arrangements for the by-election may be made on the election hotline, 2891 1001.

End/Thursday, October 19, 2000

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