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Constitution and Administration
declarations. Members of the public seeking legal advice can make appointments at the centres to see volunteer lawyers under the Free Legal Advice Scheme administered by the Duty Lawyer Service. Staff from the Rating and Valuation Department are also available at five designated centres on specified days to advise on tenancy matters. The PESCs and the Home Affairs Department's Central Telephone Enquiry Centre served a total of two million clients in 2013.
The Electoral System
Electoral System for the Legislative Council
The composition of the first to fifth terms of the Legislative Council is as follows:
Membership
(a) elected by geographical
constituencies through direct elections
First term
Second term
Third & Fourth terms
Fifth term
(1998-2000)
(2000-2004) (2004-2008 and
(2012-2016)
2008-2012)
20
24
30
35
(b) elected by functional
30
30
30
35
constituencies
(c) elected by an election
committee
10
6
18
60
60
60
10
70
Geographical Constituencies
All eligible persons aged 18 or above have the right to be registered as electors and to vote in the geographical constituency elections, which are held on the basis of universal suffrage. There are currently about 3.47 million registered electors.
The HKSAR is divided into five geographical constituencies, with each returning five to nine seats in the fifth-term Legislative Council. Electors choose lists of candidates, using the List Voting System which operates under the Largest Remainder formula, a form of proportional representation.
Any permanent resident of the HKSAR who is a Chinese citizen with no right of abode in any foreign country may stand for election in any geographical constituency, provided that he or she is a registered elector, has attained the age of 21, and has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for the preceding three years.
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