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Constitution and Administration

participation in district affairs. Their members are drawn from a wide spectrum of the community, including DC members of the areas concerned.

Twenty Public Enquiry Service Centres (PESCs), attached to the District Offices, provide a wide range of free services to the public, including answering general enquiries about government services, distributing government forms and disseminating information and administering 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 2014.

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

First term

Second term

Third &

Fourth terms

Fifth term

(1998-2000)

(2000-2004) (2004-2008 and

(2012-2016)

2008-2012)

(a) elected by geographical

constituencies through direct elections

20

24

30

35

(b) elected by functional

constituencies

30

30

30

35

(c) elected by an election

committee

10

6

|

189

60

60

81

18

60

12

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 3.51 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.

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