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The Particulars Relating to Candidates on Ballot Papers (Legislative Council) (Amendment) Regulation 2007 came into operation today (May 18). The arrangement of allowing candidates to have certain specified particulars printed on ballot papers was first adopted in the 2004 Legislative Council (Legco) election and the amendment regulation extends this arrangement to District Council elections.
With the extension of the arrangement to District Council elections, candidates may apply to the Electoral Affairs Commission during the nomination period to have certain specified particulars printed on ballot papers. These include the names, abbreviations of the names and the emblems of prescribed bodies; the personal emblems and photographs of the candidates, as well as the words "independent candidate" or "non-affiliated candidate". The names, the abbreviations and the emblems of prescribed bodies, and the personal emblems first need to be registered with the commission.
"Although applications for registration can be submitted any time during the year, only those that reach the commission by the statutory deadline will be processed within the registration cycle in that year," an Electoral Affairs Commission spokesman said.
"The normal deadline for submitting applications in an annual registration cycle is April 15. However, to allow sufficient time for processing new applications for registration for the purpose of the 2007 District Council election, the deadline for the 2007 registration cycle will be extended on a one-off basis to June 18. Any applications or objections made on or before June 18 will be processed within the 2007 registration cycle for the 2007 District Council election," he said.
People or bodies wishing to have their specified particulars printed on the ballot papers for the 2007 District Council election should submit their applications for registration to the commission by June 18.
To avoid duplication of work by the parties concerned, the specified particulars already registered with the commission in relation to Legco elections are deemed to have been registered in respect of both Legco and District Council elections. The previous successful applicants may visit the commission website (http://www.eac.gov.hk) to check their registered particulars.
Application forms can be obtained at the Registration and Electoral Office and District Offices or downloaded from the commission website. Enquiries can be made to the hotline at 2891 1001.
Ends/Friday, May 18, 2007
Issued at HKT 10:46
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