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The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:
The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, Mr Justice Woo Kwok-hing, has called on candidates to join forces with the relevant authorities to ensure the 2003 District Council Election is fair, open and honest.
A total of 837 candidates have been verified as validly nominated. Three nominations were ruled invalid and six were withdrawn.
Candidates in 74 of the 400 constituencies have been elected unopposed. The remaining 326 seats in the 18 District Councils will be contested by 763 candidates.
At two briefing sessions for candidates and their agents today (October 18), Mr Justice Woo gave an overview of the electoral guidelines issued last month.
Topics covered included proper procedures for putting up election advertisements and declaring election expenses, the duties of various types of agents, polling and counting arrangements as well as important points to note in conducting electioneering activities.
Mr Justice Woo noted in particular new arrangements set to speed up the vote-counting process and enable election results to be declared earlier.
All polling stations will turn into counting stations after the polls close, except for four small polling stations with fewer than 200 registered electors. The ballot boxes of these small polling stations will be sealed and taken under Police escort to a designated station where the votes will be counted.
The 2003 District Council Election will be held on November 23, from 7.30am to 10.30pm.
Mr Justice Woo urged all candidates to observe rules in no-canvassing zones and to refrain from causing a nuisance or inconvenience to nearby residents, particularly at night.
He strongly advised all election hopefuls to familiarise themselves with the electoral guidelines.
He added that the electoral commission and other relevant authorities would strictly enforce the law and the guidelines to ensure the poll was conducted fairly.
Also present at the briefing were representatives from the Independent Commission Against Corruption, who spoke on the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance, and representatives from the Post Office, who talked about matters relating to posting election material.
About 1,500 candidates and their agents attended the two briefing sessions.
After each session, Returning Officers determined the order of the names of the candidates on ballot papers and allocated designated spots for election advertisements by drawing lots.
Ends/Saturday, October 18, 2003
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