Nominations for the Hong Kong Chief Executive election will be open from June 3 to June 16, during which a nominee must enlist at least 100 Election Committee members to sign their nomination forms, the electoral authority said Tuesday.

According to the Registration Electoral Office, the nominee qualified as a candidate must be a Hong Kong permanent resident aged 40 or above and a Chinese citizen with no right of abode in any foreign country. They must also have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for at least 20 years.

Justice Carlye Chu, a judge of the Court of First Instance, has been appointed the Returning Officer for the election. She is responsible for vetting the validity of nominations.

A nominee must personally submit the completed nomination form to the Returning Officer. The latest information on who has handed in nomination forms will be released daily on the website.

(Xinhua News Agency May 31, 2005)