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Hong Kong district council election
Hong KongLaw and Crime

Pro-establishment candidate who lost by 86 votes in Hong Kong district council elections files court petition claiming multiple irregularities

  • Teacher Hung Chi-kit competed in Kam Ping constituency of Eastern District Council against Civic Party candidate Lee Yue-shun, who won 3,113 votes against his 3,027
  • Records show 455 people voted in the final hour but Hung says his polling agent had observed fewer than 250 voters for that period

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The pro-establishment camp suffered a setback in the November 24 elections. Photo: Reuters
Jasmine Siu
A pro-establishment candidate has complained of an unexpectedly high turnout in the final hour of last month’s heated district council elections in Hong Kong after he lost to a pan-democrat by 86 votes.

The complaint emerged in the second election petition filed with the High Court challenging the results of the poll on November 24 – this time from Hung Chi-kit of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

The teacher had competed in the Kam Ping constituency of Eastern District Council against Civic Party candidate Lee Yue-shun, who won 3,113 votes against his 3,027.

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But Hung said there were multiple irregularities on the day that resulted in a material impact on the election as he suggested officers had “failed to make proper arrangements to ensure that the election was conducted fairly, justly and openly”.

There was a record turnout for last month’s district council elections. Photo: Reuters
There was a record turnout for last month’s district council elections. Photo: Reuters
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The defeated candidate is asking the court to determine whether Lee had been duly elected, and to direct a by-election if the judge were to rule in his favour.

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