The Chief Executive in Council has accepted all the final recommendations in the report submitted by the Electoral Affairs Commission regarding the delineation of constituencies for the District Council Ordinary Election in 2019.
 
     A government spokesman said today (December 12) that the decision of the Chief Executive in Council would be effected by way of the Declaration of Constituencies (District Councils) Order 2018, which will be published in the Gazette on December 14 and tabled at the Legislative Council on January 9, 2019 for negative vetting.
 
     The report of the Commission, submitted to the Chief Executive on November 20, was tabled at the Legislative Council today as required by law. The report is divided into three volumes. Volume 1 is the report, setting out the Commission's recommendations and the reasons for its recommendations. Volume 2 contains the index map and 22 maps on the recommended constituency boundaries and the related boundary descriptions. Volume 3 records all the written representations. The report is available for public viewing at all Public Enquiry Service Centres of District Offices and the Registration and Electoral Office during ordinary business hours starting from today. The report may also be viewed at the Commission's website (www.eac.gov.hk).
 
     The spokesman said that the Commission had conducted public consultation on its provisional recommendations from July 23 to August 21.
 
     "The Commission had carefully considered all the public representations before making its final recommendations for submission to the Chief Executive. It endeavoured to strike a fair and proper balance between the expressed wishes of the public on the one hand, and the statutory criteria for delineation on the other hand."
 
     There will be 452 constituencies for the District Council Ordinary Election to be held in 2019. One District Council member will be elected for each constituency.
 
     "The making of the Order is an important step in the preparation for the next District Council Ordinary Election in late 2019. The Government and the Commission will put in place all necessary arrangements to facilitate the smooth conduct of the election," the spokesman said.

Ends/Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Issued at HKT 12:00

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