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People wanting to look at updates on nomination of candidates for the September 12 Legislative Council (Legco) election from the start of the two-week nomination period tomorrow (July 22), can visit the website www.elections.gov.hk.

A Registration and Electoral Office (REO) spokesman said today (July 21) the nominees' personal particulars, including their names, political affiliation and occupation, would be uploaded onto the website every night during the nomination period, which ends on August 4.

In the September 12 polls, 30 members will be returned from geographical constituencies and another 30 from functional constituencies.

Any registered geographical constituency 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 qualified to contest a seat in a geographical constituency.

For the functional constituency polls, the nominee must be a registered elector for, or have a substantial connection with, the functional constituency concerned. He or she must be aged 21 or above, and have ordinarily lived in Hong Kong for the three years immediately before the nomination. The requirement that he or she is a Chinese citizen with no right of abode in a foreign country will also apply, except for 12 specified functional constituencies.

Candidature in the following 12 functional constituencies is open to Hong Kong permanent residents who are not Chinese nationals or who have the right of abode in a foreign country: legal; accountancy; engineering; architectural, surveying and planning; real estate and construction; tourism; commercial (first); industrial (first); finance; financial services; import and export, and insurance.

Nomination forms are available for collection from any District Office of the Home Affairs Department, the relevant Returning Officer's office, or the REO on 10/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. They can also be downloaded from the Electoral Affairs Commission's website at www.gov.hk/eac.

"Completed nomination forms must be handed in to the relevant Returning Officer in person by nominees before 5pm on August 4," the spokesman said.

Each list of candidates running in a geographical constituency election must have the support of 100 registered electors of the constituency concerned, and pay a deposit of $50,000. The number of subscribers on their nomination form must not be more than 200.

For functional constituency polls, each nomination must be subscribed by 10 registered electors of the constituency concerned and a deposit of $25,000 must be paid. The number of subscribers on the nomination form must not be more than 20.

Enquiries about nomination may be made on the election hotline, 2891 1001.

Ends/Wednesday, July 21, 2004

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