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In view of media enquiries on the release of counting results of individual counting stations in the 2008 Legislative Council (LegCo) election, the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) issued the following response today (September 4):
"The REO has no plan to stop the practice of releasing the counting results of individual counting stations and will not cancel the release of relevant figures on the election website.
"In the 2008 LegCo election on Sunday (September 7), the REO will follow the practice adopted since the 2004 LegCo election of counting geographical constituency votes at polling stations. Under the arrangement, polling stations will be turned into counting stations after the close of polls. Upon completion of vote counting, the Presiding Officer will inform the candidates or their agents present at the counting station of the counting results.
"When counting has been completed in all counting stations of a geographical constituency, the Returning Officer will inform the candidates or their agents of the overall counting results. If the candidates or their agents have no objection, the Returning Officer will declare the election results.
"After announcing the election results, the REO will post the counting results of all geographical constituency votes involving over 500 counting stations in the media centre and upload the data onto the election website for reference by the public. This is to ensure that the election is conducted in a fair and open manner."
Ends/Thursday, September 4, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:33
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