RC NTN chairs working group on
Village Representative Elections
New Territories North (NTN) Regional Commander Austin Kerrigan chaired the 11th meeting of the Working Group to Combat Triad Involvement in Village Affairs, held at NTN Regional Headquarters on September 8.
The meeting's prime objective, as stated by Mr Kerrigan, was to "develop a multi-agency approach to ensure that the Village Representative Elections 2011 are held in a smooth and fair manner and, more importantly, to be free from corruption, violence and triad interference."
A total of 32 representatives attended the meeting, including all District Commanders in NTN Region and officers from New Territories South, Kowloon East, Marine, Crime Wing and Support Wing. Stakeholders from other government departments, namely Home Affairs Department, ICAC, Lands Department and Planning Department, were also present.
The next Village Representative Elections will be held in January 2011 and a total of 1 484 village representatives, comprising 789 Indigenous Inhabitant Representatives and 695 Resident Representatives, will be elected from 709 villages.
In the previous Village Representative Elections, both police and ICAC had received reports of violence and corruption, with some involving notorious triad groups. To ensure the integrity of the elections, the Working Group will draw up a Force-level policing action plan based on a three-pronged strategy comprising enforcement, prevention, and education and publicity. With the enhanced intelligence gathering and working relationships amongst the different Regions and government departments, the Working Group will do its best to deal with all election related matters, particularly combating violence and triad related crimes during the Village Representative Elections 2011.
The
11th
meeting discusses many aspects of the Village Representative
Elections 2011