Govt to set up polling stations near border
The government on Tuesday said it will set up polling stations near the border for Hongkongers on the mainland who want to vote in December's district council elections. There will be a quota of 38,000 on a first-come-first served basis and would-be voters must first register online. On election day, shuttle buses will be arranged for such voters to Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School or Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Kap Yan Directors' College. Both schools are in Sheung Shui, but voters will be able to choose their favourite candidate in whichever district of Hong Kong they ordinarily reside in, or lived in previously.  Constitutional and mainland affairs chief Erick Tsang said the government didn't think there was a need to set up a polling station at the airport, saying anyone flying into the city for the election will be happy to go back to their district to cast their ballot. The government noted that Hongkongers on the mainland would actually like to vote right at the border, so they could quickly leave the SAR again.  But Tsang told a Legco panel that will not be possible.  "Now all the boundary control points have resumed normalcy, with the heavy footfall, we cannot find the sufficient space to accommodate polling stations...These two schools are just five minutes away from Sheung Shui Station on foot," he said.  "For boundary control points, like Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai, there is connecting transport to this area...If we set up polling stations at this location, we should cater for the needs of most voters." At the panel meeting, Third Side lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen complained that some would-be candidates for the polls found it difficult to first get the required backing of several district advisory bodies. "When some of my friends tried to obtain nominations from these members of the three committees, they would say: 'Some of my party members are also contesting the election.' So is that fair for those who don't belong to any political party?" Tik questioned.  Tsang said people should trust that members of the three district committees are working for the good of the community by helping to eliminate those who are not patriots.  "There is indeed a new nomination arrangement. Compared to previous elections, you say it is more difficult, that is only reasonable," Tsang said. "Anyone can succeed or fail under any system, but you cannot just put all the blame on the system." DAB lawmaker Nixie Lam, meanwhile, said some advisory body members had been pestered by election hopefuls seeking nominations. "We will appeal to political parties and prospective candidates, so that they will all try to seek nominations in a peaceful manner. Otherwise, they will not be able to get the nominations and will also not have the support of the community," Tsang said in reply.