​The Government gazetted the Rural By-election today (March 7). Eleven Rural Representative vacancies will be open for nominations from March 18 to 31.
 
     The by-election will return one Resident Representative (ReR) for each of the six Existing Villages, and one Indigenous Inhabitant Representative (IIR) for each of the five Indigenous Villages/Composite Indigenous Village. The six Existing Villages are Wu Shek Kok, Kam Shan Village, Tai Po Tau, Wai Tau Tsuen, Kwong Shan Tsuen and Tung Chun Wai; whereas the five Indigenous Villages/Composite Indigenous Village are Kwun Yam Shan and Kong Pui, Ha Ling Pei, Kap Tong, Ho Chung, and Ping Tun.
 
     For the IIR By-election, a candidate must be an indigenous inhabitant of an Indigenous Village/Composite Indigenous Village as well as an elector of the relevant Village and ordinarily resides in Hong Kong. For the ReR By-election, a candidate must be a resident of the relevant Existing Village and has resided there for six years immediately preceding the nomination. The candidate must also be an elector of the relevant Village.
 
     All candidates must be Hong Kong permanent residents aged 21 or above and must be nominated by at least five registered electors from that Village. No person is allowed to stand as a candidate in more than one type of election (i.e. IIR or ReR By-election).
 
     Nomination forms are available at the Home Affairs Department (HAD), the New Territories District Offices (NTDOs) and the Rural Representative Election (RRE) website (www.had.gov.hk/rre).
 
     Completed nomination forms must be submitted in person to the Returning Officer concerned between 9am and 5pm from Mondays to Fridays, and from 9am to noon on Saturdays, except general holidays.
 
     A gazette notice on all valid nominations will be published within 14 days after the nomination period. Each validly nominated candidate will be informed separately.
 
     A spokesman for the HAD said that if there is more than one validly nominated candidate for the same Indigenous Village/Composite Indigenous Village or Existing Village, a poll would be held for that Village on April 27 (Sunday). Eligible electors will receive a polling notice which specifies the date, time and place of the poll.
 
     For enquiries, please call 2152 1521 or contact the respective NTDO. Members of the public can also visit the RRE website for more information.

Ends/Friday, March 7, 2025
Issued at HKT 9:30

NNNN