Counting Begins In Legco By-elections

Voting has ended in four controversial Legislative Council by-elections, the first since Chief Executive Carrie Lam took office. They are for seats left vacant by four of six pro-democracy legislators disqualified for failing to take their oaths of office correctly, following the Legco elections in September 2016.

Three of the seats are for geographical constituencies - Hong Kong Island, New Territories East and Kowloon West - that had been won in 2016 by Nathan Law of Demosisto, and Sixtus Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching of Youngspiration. The fourth is for the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape functional constituency that was won by Edward Yiu.

They were stripped of the seats, along with two other pro-democracy legislators elect Lau Siu-lai and the League of Social Democrats' Leung Kwok-hung, after the government of then Chief Executive CY Leung launched legal proceedings over the manner in which they took their oaths. This ultimately led to a ruling by the National People's Congress Standing Committee that said they had to be taken in a sincere and solemn manner.

Lau Siu-lai and Leung Kwok-hung are still appealing.

In a move that has attracted international criticism, the government has also prevented three people from standing for making pro-independence remarks or supporting self-determination, seen by Beijing as a euphemism for independence. They are Agnes Chow of Demosisto, James Chan and Ventus Lau.

Polling stations opened at 7.30 am and closed at 10.30 pm.

As of 9.30 pm, turnout in the Hong Kong Island constituency was 40.73 percent, Kowloon West 41.45 percent, and New Territories East 38.76 percent, giving an overall turnout in the geographical constituencies of 39.97 percent. That compares to 52.57 percent at the same time in the 2016 vote. In the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape functional constituency, turnout was 56.99 percent.

In the 2016 elections, the final turnout in Hong Kong Island was 60.74 percent, Kowloon West 58.13 percent, New Territories East 60.24 percent. The overall turnout in all geographical constituencies was 58.28 percent. In the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape functional constituency, turnout was 79.07 percent.

The candidates are as follows (list number with affiliation in brackets)

Hong Kong Island

1) Au Nok-hin (Democrats)

2) Ng Dick-hay (Nil)

3) Yum Edward Liang-hsien (Non-affiliated)

4) Chan Judy Kapui (New People's Party)

Kowloon West

1) Yiu Chung-yim (/)

2) Cheng Wing-shun Vincent (DAB)

3) Tsoi Tung-chau (Jonathan) (Nil)

New Territories East

1) Wong Sing-chi (Independent)

2) Fong Kwok-Shan Christine (Livelihood First)

3) Chan Yuk-ngor Estella (Jenny) (Independent Non-affiliated Candidate)

4) Tang Ka-piu (FTU-DAB)

5) Chiu Pui-yuk Joyce (Chinese version only)

6) Fan Gary Kwok-wai (Neo Democrats)

Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape

1) Tse Wai-chuen Tony (Nil)

2) Zimmerman Paulus Johannes (Paul Zimmerman) (Independent Democrat)

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