The Island Shangri-La has been used by three people as their residential address when registering as electors. Photos: HK govt, internet
Authorities slammed for letting voters use Shangri-La as address
The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) has allowed voters to use a hotel as their residential address, Ming Pao Daily reported Thursday.
The newspaper examined the provisional registers of electors for the district council elections to be held in November. The lists were released on July 31 for public inspection until Aug. 25.
The reporters found that three people used the address of the Island Shangri-La, a luxury hotel, as their residential address, qualifying them as electors in Chung Wan constituency under the Central and Western District.
Democratic Party lawmaker Albert Ho Chun-yan said he plans to apply to a court to remove such electors from the lists.
Ming Pao found that one of the three people is named Bian Yiping, the same name as that of the honorary chairman of the Hangzhou Residents Association in Hong Kong.
The other two have the same names as directors of separate companies located in Wan Chai and associated with a firm controlled by Bian.
None of the three was on the lists for the 2011 elections.
The residents’ association joined the anti-Occupy signature campaign last year, the report said.
A spokesman for the REO said acceptance of the three as electors had been recommended by the Department of Justice and approved by a magistrate.
All three were reached on Wednesday, and it was confirmed that their registered address is that of their main residence, the spokesman said.
A spokesman for Island Shangri-La said that for the sake of privacy, it cannot reveal who has been or is staying at the hotel.
He said the hotel never issues a certificate of address to anyone who wants to use it to register as an elector.
Ted Hui Chi-fung, the Democratic Party district councilor who was elected in Chung Wan constituency in 2011, said accepting a hotel address as an elector’s residential address sets a bad precedent for future elections.
Those who do not live in a constituency will be able to use a hotel there as their residence before an election and become qualified electors in the constituency, he said.
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