Legislative Council by-election

The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:
 
     The Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) announced today (June 26) that a Legislative Council by-election for the Kowloon West geographical constituency is planned to be held on November 25 (Sunday).
 
     "This by-election will be held to fill the vacant seat of the Legislative Council Kowloon West geographical constituency," a Commission spokesman said.
 
     "When deciding the polling date of the Legislative Council by-election, all objective factors have to be considered including the time required to recruit and train additional electoral staff, procurement of venues for use as polling and counting stations, procurement and logistics for electoral materials and the principle of proper use of public funds. In the light of various underlying practical considerations, preparation for holding the Legislative Council by-election will take about six months."
 
     The spokesman added, "In accordance with the electoral laws, the nomination period of the Legislative Council by-election must not be less than 14 days or more than 21 days. It must end not less than 28 days and not more than 42 days before the polling day. Upon completion of the necessary arrangements for the nomination procedure, the notice of the by-election and the nomination period will be published in the Government Gazette as soon as possible."
 
     The EAC shall take the appropriate steps and make reasonable arrangements in order to ensure that the by-election will be conducted in an open, fair and honest manner.