HONG KONG: The government will move promptly to arrange by-elections for Legislative Council geographical constituency seats should members of opposition political parties decide to resign their seats, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam said yesterday.

Lam stressed if opposition lawmakers choose to resign, the government will treat the matter as a routine by-election, taking no heed of the opposition camp's effort to turn the collective resignation and by-election into a "de facto referendum".

Answering an oral question at the Legislative Council yesterday, Lam reiterated that it will cost the city at least HK$150 million to stage by-elections in all five geographical constituencies. He told the chamber that the by-elections would demand a rollout of government resources tantamount to a District Council election, citing a need for 560 polling stations across the city.

Lam told legislators that the election expenditure would be an unforeseen expense of high magnitude and for that reason the government would be forced to apply to the Legislative Council for extra funding. He said that he believes legislators will understand the government's constitutional duty to arrange for by-elections when there are vacancies and that legislators will approve the funding.

Legislator Priscilla Leung pointed out that there is no provision in the Basic Law that upholds the legality of referendums in Hong Kong.

Financial services constituency legislator Chim Pui-chung, who has openly said he would be the sixth lawmaker to resign if the collective resignation happens, asked if a political crisis would occur if the special funding were not approved.

Lam replied that the SAR government is obliged to ensure that all 60 seats in the legislature are filled. "The government will see it as a by-election," he said. "Since there is no provision for referendums in the Basic Law, it is a mere by-election."

He also said notwithstanding the seat vacancies, section 17 (1) of the Legislative Council Ordinance stipulates that the operation and legal authority and procedures of the legislature will not be affected.

(HK Edition 12/17/2009 page1)