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The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:
The Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) today (July 15) released the proposed guidelines on Election-related Activities in respect of the Election Committee (EC) Subsector Elections. The guidelines will be available for public consultation until August 14.
"Modelled on the guidelines for the last EC Subsector By-elections in 2005, the latest version has been updated for use in the conduct and supervision of the ordinary elections to be held on December 10," the EAC Chairman, Mr Justice Woo Kwok-hing, said.
To reflect the latest amendments to the Chief Executive Election Ordinance, the proposed guidelines state that an interim register of the members of the Electoral Committee will be published within seven days after the conduct of the EC subsector ordinary elections. The existing register will, however, continue to be valid until the term of office of the new EC commences on February 1 next when a final register of the new members will be published on that day.
In line with the amended Chief Executive Election Ordinance, the proposed guidelines state that if a person is not a member of a District Council, or a Hong Kong member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, or the Chairman, a Vice-Chairman or a Councillor of the Full Council of the Heung Yee Kuk, he or she is not qualified to be nominated as a candidate at an election of the respective subsector, or to be elected as a member of the respective subsector.
The increased penalty for offences relating to secrecy of votes, and unauthorised filming, photographing, audio/video recording within a polling station are specified in the proposed guidelines following the amended EAC (Electoral Procedure) (Election Committee) Regulation.
To align the electoral arrangements for the EC Subsector Elections with those for the Legislative Council and District Council elections, the guidelines have clarified the type of ballot papers which are clearly invalid by their nature (i.e. those ballot papers with the words "tendered", "unused" or "spoilt", or which are unmarked) to be regarded as invalid and not be counted. Also clarified are the types of questionable ballot papers, which will be separated for the Returning Officer to decide whether they should be counted.
Members of the public are welcome to submit written submissions during the consultation period, or to express their views at a public forum to be held on August 3.
The proposed guidelines can be obtained from the Registration and Electoral Office (10/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, and 10/F Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai), or from the District Offices. They can be downloaded at www.eac.gov.hk. Enquiries can be made on 2891 1001.
Ends/Saturday, July 15, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:39
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