XN000022-1992-07-01 — Page 33

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1992

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DATES FOR THREE BY-ELECTIONS ANNOUNCED

THE

GOVERNMENT

TODAY (WEDNESDAY) ANNOUNCED THE DATES FOR A SERIES OF BY-ELECTIONS TO FILL THE SEATS HELD BY THE LATE MR NG YUM.

MING-

IN A PRESS CONFERENCE, A DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MR C.M. LEUNG, SAID THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT BY-ELECTIONS WOULD BE HELD FOR ALL THREE TIERS OF THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE.

"WE HAVE CONSIDERED A NUMBER OF OPTIONS FOR DOING THIS AND THE COMPLEXITIES INVOLVED IN EACH OF THEM, HE SAID.

THE

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"GIVEN THAT THERE ARE SPECIFIC LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS GOVERNING TIMETABLE FOR HOLDING BY-ELECTIONS, IN PARTICULAR THOSE FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND THAT IT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO FILL THE VACANCIES AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE, WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT ON BALANCE THE BY-ELECTIONS SHOULD BE HELD OVER A SIX-WEEK PERIOD, HE ADDED.

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THE DATES ARE :

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (LEGCO)

REGIONAL COUNCIL

[RC4

ELECTION DAY

AUGUST 30

(SUNDAY)

OCTOBER 5 (MONDAY)

TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD

(TMDB)

OCTOBER 11 (SUNDAY)

NOMINATION FOR CANDIDATES WILL START ON JULY 27 FOR LEGCO, SEPTEMBER 1 FOR RC, AND ON SEPTEMBER 7 FOR DB, HE SAID.

ON

MR LEUNG SAID THE LEGCO BY-ELECTION CAME FIRST BECAUSE OF THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT THE VACANCY MUST BE GAZETTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF IT BECOMING AVAILABLE.

SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THIS RESPECT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE RC AND DB BY-ELECTIONS.

"THIS YEAR'S VOTER REGISTRATION EXERCISE ENDS TODAY," HE SAID.

"THE EARLIEST DATE THAT WE CAN PUBLISH THE 1992 FINAL REGISTER OF ELECTORS IS JULY 27. THE NOMINATION DATE FOR THE LEGCO BY-ELECTION TIES IN WITH THIS. ALL THE THREE BY-ELECTIONS WILL THEN BE USING THE SAME SET OF ELECTORAL REGISTER," HE ADDED.

"THE LEGCO AND DISTRICT BOARD BY-ELECTIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED ON A SUNDAY

A PRACTICE WHICH IS NOW TAKING ROOT AND WHICH IS WELL RECEIVED.

"THE REGIONAL COUNCIL BY-ELECTION WILL HOWEVER BE HELD ON A MONDAY, A PUBLIC HOLIDAY, AND IS THE DAY FOLLOWING THE CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL," HE SAID.

/"WE BELIEVE