The Election Committee subsector elections will be held on December 10, Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam says.

Mr Lam made the announcement while speaking at the Legislative Council on the resumption of the second reading of the Chief Executive Election and Legislative Council Election (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2006 .

A notice of the polling day will be published in the gazette this Friday.

As in the past, the Electoral Affairs Commission and the relevant government departments will make all necessary arrangements to ensure that the elections are conducted in a fair, open and honest manner, Mr Lam stressed.

The term of office of the new Election Committee will begin on February 1, 2007, and it will elect the new Chief Executive on March 25, 2007.

Amendment bill passed

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Election and Legislative Council Election (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2006 was passed by the Legislative Council today.

The Bill helps ensure the smooth conduct of the 2007 Chief Executive election.

It mainly seeks to address the legal issues identified in the Fifth Report of the Constitutional Development Task Force, and to provide for the electoral arrangements in the event that only one CE candidate is validly nominated. 

It provides that if an election for a new-term Chief Executive is held within six months of a vacancy in the office arising, it will not be necessary to hold a by-election.

It also provides that the term of office of the Election Committee will start on February 1 in the year during which the term of office of the Chief Executive expires; and that a new Chief Executive returned in a by-election may only serve one more term on expiry of the remainder term, and that the remaining term is regarded as one term.

Further, the Bill proposes that if only one Chief Executive candidate is validly nominated, election proceedings shall continue.

Effective on May 13

The notice for commencement of the Amendment Ordinance will be published in the Gazette on May 13. The Amendment Ordinance will come into operation on the same day.

The Electoral Affairs Commission will make consequential amendments to the relevant subsidiary legislation.