Applications for new registration in Information Technology Functional Constituency
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     In response to media reports today (June 20) that individual members of a specified body in the Information Technology Functional Constituency (ITFC) were disqualified as electors because the body had not submitted membership information to the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) as required, and that during the process the REO had not approached the subjects concerned for enquiry, the REO responded with the following statement:
 
     Sections 20Z and 25 of the Legislative Council Ordinance (Cap 542) specify the composition of and the eligibility for registration as electors for the ITFC.
 
     The REO collects from all specified bodies in every voter registration (VR) cycle the latest information about their members who meet the eligibility requirements under the electoral law for registration as electors in the relevant FCs to process applications for new registration and verify the registration eligibility of individuals in the FCs concerned, and to remove those who are no longer eligible for registration.
 
     In view of earlier public concern over the eligibility of electors for the ITFC, the Government is conducting a review on the delineation of the ITFC electorate from the policy and legislation perspectives. Meanwhile, in strict accordance with the requirements, the REO has, with regard to each application for new registration in the ITFC in this VR cycle, requested the relevant specified body to which the applicant belongs, to provide proof (such as documentary proof of relevant academic qualifications and/or working experience of the applicant) for eligibility of registration in the ITFC. The REO has taken the initiative to contact the applicants concerned for clarification or provision of the required information when processing the applications for new registration.
 
     The cases mentioned in the media reports concern new VR applications in the ITFC. Since some of the specified bodies or applicants have not provided the information required pursuant to the requirements, or the information provided is incomplete, and/or the specified bodies to which the applicant belongs have not confirmed the VR eligibility of the relevant applicant as an elector of the ITFC, among the 151 new VR applications received in this VR cycle, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is not satisfied that 130 cases meet the registration eligibility and has not accepted these registration applications. The ERO also has not included these applicants in the 2017 provisional register for the ITFC.
 
     As in the past, the REO will continue to validate all registration applications in strict accordance with the law and the requirements to ensure the accuracy of the registers of electors and the fairness and impartiality of the electoral system. The REO has also notified each applicant of the relevant registration application result.

Ends/Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Issued at HKT 19:50

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