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A list of the 1640 validly nominated candidates for the 2003 Village Representative Elections was gazetted today (June 30).
930 candidates have been returned uncontested and 710 will compete for a total of 361 seats in the elections to be held every weekend from July 12 to August 17. There are also 189 seats for which no nominations have been made.
Polling will be conducted from 12 noon and 7 pm. Electors will receive a polling notice at least 10 days before the polling day of their Village. The notice will specify the address of the polling station, accompanied by a location map.
Separate polling notices will be sent out for each category of the Village Representative elections, that is, the Indigenous Inhabitant Representative (IIR) elections and the Resident Representative (RR) elections.
Electors are required to bring along the relevant polling notice and their identity documents to the designated polling station on the polling day for their Village.
"This is the first time that the Village Representative elections are conducted under a statutory framework. Electors are urged to exercise their civil rights and vote," said a spokesman for the Home Affairs Department.
Electors or candidates may call 2152 1521 for enquiries or visit the Village Representative Elections' website (http://www.gov.hk/had/vre).
The number of candidates to contest in the coming elections is set out by district as follows:
For IIR elections:
District No. of candidates Seats
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Islands 16 8
Kwai Tsing 7 5
North 51 28
Sai Kung 36 19
Sha Tin 23 11
Tai Po 54 27
Tsuen Wan 34 21
Tuen Mun 10 6
Yuen Long 144 77
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Total: 375 202
For RR elections:
District No. of candidates Seats
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Islands 40 19
Kwai Tsing -- --
North 67 32
Sai Kung 33 16
Sha Tin 18 7
Tai Po 25 12
Tsuen Wan 12 6
Tuen Mun 10 5
Yuen Long 130 62
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Total: 335 159
End/Monday, June 30, 2003
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