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The Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) will launch the first phase of the 2007 nomination exercise to return representatives of the specified arts interests for the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) tomorrow (May 2).
An HAB spokesman said, "The current term membership of the HKADC will expire on December 31, 2007.Pursuant to the Hong Kong Arts Development Council Ordinance (Cap. 472), the Chief Executive may appoint up to 10 persons nominated by the specified arts interests as members of the HKADC. The 10 arts interests are Arts Administration, Arts Criticism, Arts Education, Chinese Opera (Xiqu), Dance, Drama, Film Arts, Literary Arts, Music and Visual Arts.
"The Chief Executive will consider for appointment as members of the HKADC nominees returned from this year's nomination exercise for a term up to 3 years commencing January 1, 2008, " the spokesman said.
He noted that the first phase of the nomination exercise, that is, registration as members of the nominating bodies of the respective arts interests, is the most important as only members of those arts organisations which have been registered as members of the nominating bodies, and individual arts workers who have so registered could participate in the subsequent phases of the nomination exercise including voter registration, nomination of candidates, candidature and voting.
The first phase of registration will be conducted from May 2, 2007 to June 5, 2007. The application guidelines and registration forms are available at the following websites and venues-
Websites:
http://www.hab.gov.hk
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk
http://www.hkadc.org.hk
Venues:
Culture Division of the HAB; the HKADC; the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts; the Hong Kong Arts Centre; civic centres, museums and major libraries of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department; and Public Enquiry Services Centres of the 18 District Offices
Eligible arts organisations and individual arts workers are invited to submit application for registration to "PR Concepts Company Limited", the nomination agent appointed by the Home Affairs Bureau for this nomination exercise, before 5:00 pm on June 5, 2007 (Tuesday).
The spokesman also noted that arts organisations or individual arts workers which/who have been specified as members of the nominating bodies in the gazette notice G.N. 5143 dated August 13, 2004 do not need to apply again unless they wish to update their particulars or change the arts interests for which they were registered in 2004. Other arts organisations and individual arts workers must apply for registration.
The spokesman added that following the close of this first phase, the membership lists of the nominating bodies will be promulgated by gazette. HAB will start the voter registration exercise in the next phase soon afterwards.
This year's nomination exercise will be conducted in four phases as follows -
Phase 1: Registration of eligible organisations/individual arts workers as members of the nominating bodies of the respective arts interests (early May to early June 2007)
Phase 2: Voter registration (late June to late July 2007 tentative)
Phase 3: Nomination of candidates for the respective arts interests (mid-August to late August 2007 tentative)
Phase 4: Electioneering and polling (early September to late September 2007 tentative)
Ends/Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Issued at HKT 14:00
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