Both political and non-political bodies may now apply to the Electoral Affairs Commission for registration of their names and emblems so that candidates can request to have them printed on ballot papers in this year's Legislative Council Elections.

Election hopefuls may also apply to register their own emblems with the commission for the same purpose.

To ensure that their registered names and emblems can appear on ballot papers for the 2004 Legco polls, all applications must reach the commission by April 1.

"Although applications can be submitted at any time, only those that reach the commission by the specified deadline in a registration cycle can be processed within the same cycle," Chairman of the Commission Justice Woo Kwok-hing said.

From 2005 onwards, the deadline for applications will fall on April 15.

Applications will be gazetted

All screened-out applicants will be given 14 days to clarify or change their applications. Applications will be gazetted so that objections from the public can be made within 14 days.

Before the commission decides on applications that are challenged, hearings will be held to canvass views and look into relevant evidence.

Details of all successful applications will be gazetted, and also made available for public inspection at the Registration & Electoral Office.

Processing time not more than 16 weeks

In the first registration cycle this year, processing of applications will take no more than 16 weeks, and the results can be gazetted not later than July 22. For straightforward applications, processing is expected to take no more than seven weeks.

An organisation should submit its application together with a certificate or document issued to it by the authority that regulates it under the laws of Hong Kong.

A person must be a registered elector at the time of submitting the application for registration of his personal emblem.

Application forms are available at the Registration & Electoral Office and District Offices; or they can be downloaded from the commision website.