A bill against electoral corruption and malpractice is peppered with loopholes, lawmakers say.
Officials yesterday admitted the Election (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Bill only outlawed a person from stopping others coming forward as candidates.
Paying others to stop electioneering or to tone down their campaigns after nomination was not covered.
Democrat Lee Wing-tat said a candidate might pay a rival not to continue electioneering.
'Suppose I offered $1 million to my rival not to campaign in full swing so that I'll have a better chance of winning. This is, to a certain extent, corruption. It would be bizarre if that sort of situation was allowed,' he told a Legco committee.
Deputy Solicitor General James O'Neil conceded it would 'not be illegal' under the proposed law.
He said the bill mirrored the existing corruption law, which did not cover such a situation.