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Plan to expand voting for Hong Kong residents living in mainland China may not take shape by next year, Chief Executive Carrie Lam says
- Carrie Lam says her administration only came to know about the complexities involved in the process after floating the idea two months ago
- If the scheme fails to materialise by next year, Lam says the government will proceed with other plans to improve the electoral process
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A plan to let Hong Kong voters cast their ballots in mainland China may not come to fruition in time for a major election next year, the city’s leader has revealed, blaming complexities her staff had overlooked.
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The proposal – which sparked fears among opposition politicians that it would undermine the fairness and integrity of the city’s electoral process – was expected to be unveiled in Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng-yuet ngor’s policy address on Wednesday.
But Lam told a radio show on Saturday her administration only came to know about the complexities involved in the electoral reform process after floating the idea about two months ago.
The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau first felt the need for electoral reforms as many Hongkongers were stranded on the mainland because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But the Electoral Affairs Commission, a statutory body responsible for ensuring fairness in polls, later started advising the bureau about the legal issues involved, as well as the procedures required to keep electoral malpractice at bay.
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