Pan-Dems let voters have legco final say

The pro-democracy camp will organize primaries on July 11 and 12 for people to choose their favorite candidates to run in the Legislative Council election on September 6.

The primaries will cover the five geographical constituencies and functional constituencies of health services and district council super seats. The results will be announced on July 13.

Benny Tai Yiu-ting, an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, said he is hoping more than 170,000 registered voters will take part in the primaries to be conducted at 200 polling stations around Hong Kong.

Each district would have polling stations for the public to vote for the candidates in their geographical constituency. Cross-district voting is not allowed.

The Power of Democracy will announce the list of eligible primary candidates on June 24.

The civic engagement process coordinated by the Power of Democracy will run on July 11 and 12, from 9 am to 9 pm.

The Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute is commissioned to design and provide the voting system.

"Any person who agrees that the pro-democratic camp should enjoy the majority of votes in the coming Legislative Council may join," Tai said.

People are required to bring their mobile phone and scan a QR code provided at the station to enter the polling system; each station has its QR code. Paper ballots are available in some stations only.

Voters are required to bring their ID card and documents, including proof of address.

"After the central government enacts the National Security Law for Hong Kong directly candidates of the pro-democratic camp have a very high risk of being disqualified in the official elections," Tai said.

"We can foresee the civic engagement process will be disturbed by people of other political opinions or the police," he added.

The pro-democratic camp will send five candidates for Kowloon East, six for New Territories West, seven for New Territories East, and four Super seat candidates for the Legco election.