Prisoners in Hong Kong vote in local election

Prisoners in Hong Kong vote in local election

2011 Village Representative Election completed

Hong Kong (HKSAR) - The 2011 Village Representative Election (VRE), held over four consecutive Sundays, concluded successfully today (January 23).

Rounding up the four polling days, a total of 808 candidates from 246 villages contested 414 seats, including 273 Indigenous Inhabitants Representatives (IIRs) and 141 Resident Representatives (RRs). The overall turnout rate reached 63.56%, of which the respective turnouts for the IIR and the RR Elections were 63.85% and 63.19%, with 50,824 voters casting their votes.

This year, a total of 86,425 out of the 182,702 registered electors are female, representing a rate of 47.3%. There are 39 validly nominated female candidates, accounting for more than 10% increase as compared to that of the 2007 VRE.

As for today, the total turnout rate was 61.22%, with 11,738 of the 19,173 registered voters casting their votes. 187 candidates from 64 villages contested 94 seats, including 59 IIRs and 35 RRs, in respective villages.

This is the first VRE that prisoners or remanded unconvicted persons, who have registered as electors, can vote at dedicated polling stations. In the four polling days, 42prisoners and remanded unconvicted persons cast their votes.

There were 1,484 seats for the 2011 Village Representative Election, with 944 seats returned uncontested and 126 seats left vacant with no valid nomination.

The tenure of office for the new term of Village Representatives will run from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2015.

The major role of an IIR is to reflect views on the affairs of an indigenous village on behalf of the indigenous inhabitants of that Village, and to deal with all affairs relating to the lawful traditional rights and interests, and the traditional way of life, of those indigenous inhabitants.

The major role of an RR is to reflect views on the affairs of a village on behalf of the residents of that village. An RR shall not deal with any affairs relating to the lawful traditional rights and interests of indigenous inhabitants.

Source: HKSAR Government