Nominations for the by-election for the Shap Pat Heung West Constituency and San Tin Constituency of the Yuen Long District Council will be accepted between May 28 and June 10, 2019.

     "If the number of validly nominated candidates for a constituency is more than one at the by-election, a poll will be held on July 14, 2019 (Sunday) for that constituency to fill the vacant seat of the elected member in the constituency," a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) said today (May 17).

     "A nominee must be a registered geographical constituency elector aged 21 or above who has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for the three years immediately preceding his or her nomination. Details on the eligibility to be nominated as a candidate, disqualification for being nominated as a candidate and from being elected as an elected member, and the requirements to be complied with by persons nominated as candidates are set out in sections 20, 21 and 34 respectively of the District Councils Ordinance.

     "A nomination form must be subscribed by 10 registered electors of the constituency concerned. Each elector is allowed to subscribe only one nomination," he added.

     The nominee must personally hand in the completed nomination form and an election deposit of $3,000 to the Returning Officer for this by-election within the nomination period. Nominations are accepted from 9am to 5pm, Mondays to Fridays, and from 9am to noon on Saturdays (except public holidays).

     The District Officer (Yuen Long) has been appointed as the Returning Officer for this by-election, and his office is located at 4/F, Yuen Long District Office Building, 269 Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long, New Territories.

     Nomination forms are available at the office of the Returning Officer or can be downloaded from the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk). They can also be obtained at the REO at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The office will extend its service hours to include Saturday mornings from 9am to noon until the end of the nomination period.

     "Nominees are advised to submit their nominations as early as possible to allow time to correct mistakes, if any, in the nomination forms before the deadline," the spokesman said.

     Details of the by-election, the appointment of the Returning Officer and the Assistant Returning Officer, and the appointment of the Nominations Advisory Committee were published in the Gazette today.

     Enquiries can be made to the election hotline on 2891 1001.

Ends/Friday, May 17, 2019
Issued at HKT 11:00

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