Press Releases

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Acting Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Adeline Wong, at a media session before attending the opening ceremony of the 12th Congress of World Federation of Hainanese Associations and third World Forum for Hainanese Youth function today (December 5):

Reporter: (About Election Committee Subsector Elections and District Council Election)

Acting Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs: In response to press report regarding the eligibility of some of the voters on the final voter register to vote at the election this Sunday, the Registration and Electoral Office has written to that particular organisation, namely iProA, requiring it to check against its register of members to see whether any of them have lost their eligibility or qualification to vote at the election this Sunday. If there are such members, iProA has to report to the Registration and Electoral Office as soon as possible. And the Registration and Electoral Office has also asked iProA to remind the members who have lost their eligibility not to vote at the election this Sunday, otherwise, it will be a criminal offence under the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance, for anyone who knowingly know that they are not entitled to vote at the election to vote. Regarding the District Council election held last month, under the District Councils Ordinance, if any candidate would like to submit an election petition to the court requesting the court to overturn the result of the election, of course the candidate has the right to do so under the Ordinance. And the candidate will have to submit evidence to support his case, and it will be entirely the discretion of the Court of First Instance to rule on a particular election petition based on the evidence and also the information and facts made available by all parties to the election petition.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Monday, December 5, 2011