Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa came to the Hong Kong Park Sports Center to cast his vote for the third term Legislative Council (LegCo) election at 9:00 AM Sunday.

A total of 501 polling stations in Hong Kong are open to the electors to cast their votes from 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM Sunday.

Tung said that as a citizen, he came to the polling station to cast his vote to practice his duty, and as a chief executive, he would cooperate with the new Legislative Council in advancing Hong Kong's economic development and maintaining Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

The third term of Hong Kong's LegCo will be composed of 60 members, with 30 to be returned by functional constituencies and another 30 by geographical constituencies through direct elections.

A total of 159 candidates have been validly nominated for the LegCo election. Of which, 11 candidates have been elected unopposed in 11 functional constituencies to the Legislative Council. 

About 3.4 million people (3.2 million from geographical constituencies and 0.2 million from functional constituencies) have registered as electors for the LegCo election, who will choose the remaining 49 members of Hong Kong's third term LegCo.

The LegCo is Hong Kong's legislative body. The term of office of the third term LegCo members will begin on Oct. 1, 2004, and last for four years.  

(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2004)