Candidates sought: Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Justice Woo Kwok-hing meets the press to announce the by-election details.

A one-week nomination period for the 33 Election Committee vacancies will start on April 9, the Electoral Affairs Commission announced today.

Commission Chairman Justice Woo Kwok-hing said at a press conference there are 33 vacancies in 17 subsectors following the publication of the provisional register of the Election Committee for open inspection between March 16 and 23.

The six vacancies in the religious subsector will be filled by supplementary nominations of commission members by the religious bodies concerned.

There is one vacancy for the Chinese Muslim Cultural & Fraternal Association, Hong Kong Christian Council and the Confucian Academy, while three vacancies exist for the Hong Kong Taoist Association.

By-elections set for May 1

The 27 vacancies in the other 16 subsectors will be filled by by-elections with polls set for May 1.

The following is a description of the vacancies:

* One vacancy: Finance; Import & Export; Industrial (second); Textiles & Garment; Architectural, Surveying & Planning; Chinese Medicine; Higher Education; Labour.

* Two vacancies: Industrial (first); Accountancy; Engineering; Legal; Agriculture & Fisheries; Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

* Three vacancies: Hong Kong and Kowloon District Councils.

* Four vacancies: Heung Yee Kuk.

Nomination forms for the by-elections are available from District Offices, the offices of Returning Officers, and the Registration & Electoral Office at 10/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai.

They can also be downloaded from the Electoral Affairs Commission's website.

The completed nomination form must be personally submitted by a nominee to the Returning Officer concerned during business hours within the nomination period.

Enquiries can be made to the Election Hotline on 2891 1001.

Final register will be published

A final register of the Election Committee will be published after the supplementary nominations and by-elections for the 17 subsectors are completed.

The Committee will elect the Chief Executive at the election to be held on July 10.