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In response to further enquiries from the media on the release of counting results of individual counting stations in the 2008 Legislative Council (Legco) election, the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) issued the following response today (September 5):
¡§As pointed out in our press release issued yesterday (September 4), over 500 polling stations will be turned into counting stations after the close of polls. Upon completion of vote counting, the Presiding Officer will inform the candidates or their agents present at the counting station of the counting result. This arrangement can allow the candidates or their agents to be informed of the counting result of individual counting stations as soon as possible. If the candidates or their agents do not raise any objection, the Presiding Officer will report the counting result to the Returning Officer.
¡§After the counting results of all counting stations of a geographical constituency have been aggregated, the Returning Officer will inform the candidates or their agents of the overall counting results. If the candidates or their agents have no objection, the Returning Officer will then declare the election results.
¡§The REO will post the counting results of individual counting stations in the media centre as and when the individual counting stations have completed the counting process, so as to make the information available for reference by the public.
¡§The relevant arrangements are consistent with those adopted in the 2004 Legco election.¡¨
Ends/Friday, September 5, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:58
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