Hong Kong will begin the nomination process for its next Legislative Council on October 24, with the current legislature standing prorogued on the same day, the government has announced.
Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said on Wednesday that the date was set after taking the election date of December 7 into consideration.
In a letter from Chan to Legco President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, the city’s second-highest official said that the current Legislative Council would recess on October 24 “to prevent giving undue advantage to incumbent members over other candidates during the election period, or creating an impression to that effect.”
He added that the arrangement, which would be gazetted on Friday, was consistent with the procedure followed by the previous Legco.
The letter did not specify the duration of the nomination period. For the previous election in 2021, it lasted 14 days.
The legislature is currently on its final summer recess and will hold its first chamber meeting on September 3.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is scheduled to deliver his fourth Policy Address to the lawmakers in September.
