Lawmaker confident problems on remand votes can be overcome

A lawmaker said difficulties were expected to arise over implementing voting arrangements for hundreds of suspects on remand but was confident the government could overcome them.

The consultation document on prisoners' voting rights released yesterday said arrangements for people on remand to cast their votes should be similar to those proposed for prisoners. Setting up mobile polling stations or polling stations in prisons have been suggested.

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung said yesterday the government hoped to arrange for suspects on remand to vote in a Sha Tin District Council by-election in the Tai Wai constituency next month.

Mr Lam said people on remand could vote inside detention centres such as the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, but he did not mention details of arrangements for remand suspects held at police stations.

The chairman of the Hong Kong Police Inspectors' Association, Tony Liu Kit-ming, suggested remand suspects should vote at police stations, to minimise the security risk. The security risk attached to people on remand inside police station areas, such as rooms or mobile polling stations set up inside police stations, should be low, Mr Liu said.

Lawmakers Lau Kong-wah and Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee welcomed the government's consultation paper on prisoners' voting rights, so that arrangements for prisoners to qualify for voting could be made as soon as possible.