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Foreign consulates to be barred from 2012 Legco election voting

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The government is planning to amend a law to bar foreign consulates and international bodies from voting in Legislative Council functional constituency elections.

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'The rationale is that foreign governments [and] consulates should not participate in local politics,' Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung said yesterday. Widespread concern has been expressed over the votes foreign envoys have as members of business chambers.

Lam yesterday officially unveiled the details of bills concerning the 2012 chief executive and Legislative Council elections.

The bills seek to expand the membership of the Election Committee that will select the next chief executive to 1,200, while creating five new seats each for Legco's geographical and functional constituencies.

However, the government has not responded to calls to lower the nomination threshold or the HK$6 million campaign expense cap for each of the so-called super seats for district councillors.

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On the voting rights of foreign bodies, more than a dozen consular members of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce are currently eligible to vote in the Legco functional constituency election to select the chamber's representative.

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