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The Government gazetted the nomination period for the Village Representative By-election today (August 22). Four Village Representative vacancies will be open for nominations from August 28 to September 10.
The by-election will cover one Resident Representative for Tong Sheung Tsuen, an Existing Village; and three Indigenous Inhabitant Representatives for three Indigenous Villages, namely Shan Ha Wai, Tai Wai and Ho Lek Pui.
To be eligible for an Indigenous Inhabitant Representative By-election, a candidate must be an indigenous inhabitant as well as a registered 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 must 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 a registered 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 registered 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 are 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 September 10.
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 October 5 (Sunday). Eligible electors will receive a polling notice which specifies the date, time and place of the poll.
For enquiries, please call 2152 1521.
Ends/Friday, August 22, 2014
Issued at HKT 11:30
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