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The Government gazetted the nomination period for the Village Representative By-election today (April 11).
Seven Village Representative vacancies will be open for nominations from April 17 until April 30.
The by-election will cover four Resident Representatives for four Existing Villages, namely Shek Kiu Tau, Sai O, Tong Sheung Tsuen and Shung Ching San Tsuen (II). The by-election will also cover three Indigenous Inhabitant Representatives for three Indigenous Villages, namely Nai Chung, Lo Wai and Shek Wu Tong Tsuen.
To be eligible for an Indigenous Inhabitant Representative By-election, a candidate must be an indigenous inhabitant as well as an elector of the Indigenous Village and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong.
For a Resident Representative By-election, a candidate must be a resident of the Existing Village and have been a resident of the village for six years immediately preceding the nomination. His or her principal residential address must be in the village and "principal residential address" means the address of the dwelling place at which the candidate resides, which should constitute his or her sole or main home. The candidate must also be an elector of the village.
All candidates of both categories must be permanent Hong Kong residents aged 21 or above and each candidate must be nominated by at least five electors from his or her village. Each elector may nominate only one candidate. No one can stand as a candidate in more than one village.
Nomination forms will be available at the Public Enquiry Service Centres of the New Territories District Offices, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) and the Rural Representative Election website (www.had.gov.hk/rre).
Nomination forms must be submitted in person to the Returning Officer, that is, the District Officer of the respective village, by 5pm on April 30.
A spokesman for the HAD said that if there was more than one validly nominated candidate for the same village, a poll would be held for that village on May 25 (Sunday). Eligible voters will receive a polling notice which specifies the date, time and place of the poll.
For enquiries, please call 2152 1521.
Ends/Friday, April 11, 2014
Issued at HKT 11:01
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