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False and incorrect information given by voters
The following is a question by the Hon Eric Li Ka-cheung and a written reply by the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Mr Nicholas Ng, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
The Boundary and Election Commission (Registration of Electors) (Functional Constituencies and Election Committee Constituency) Regulation stipulates that any person who provides false and incorrect information upon registration as a voter with the Registration and Election Office is liable to a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for 6 months. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the respective numbers of persons convicted of breaching this regulation in each of the past three years together with the numbers of people convicted who were fined and those who were imprisoned?
Reply:
The Boundary and Election Commission (Registration of Electors) (Functional Constituencies and Election Committee Constituency) Regulation only came into operation on 15 December 1994. This Regulation deals with the registration of electors for the Legislative Council functional constituencies and Election Committee constituency. Since the Regulation's coming into operation, there has not been any complaint concerning the provision of false and incorrect information by electors for the functional constituencies and the Election Committee constituency. Nor has there been any conviction for the relevant offence.
Prior to December 1994, legal sanction against false registration in functional constituencies was contained in the Legislative Council (Electoral Provisions) (Registration of Electors and Appointment of Authorized Representatives) Regulations. (The Regulations did not cover Election Committee constituency as it did not exist then.) During the three years immediately preceding December 1994, there was no complaint concerning false registration in functional constituencies; nor was there any conviction for the relevant offence.