The election for the new-term Legislative Council president is set for Thursday, and will be preceded by a special forum for candidates at 9:30 am.

The contest is between Starry Lee Wai-king from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), who is also the city's sole delegate to the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and Ronick Chan Chun-ying from the financial sector and a deputy to the National People's Congress.

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At the forum, the two candidates will present their platforms and take questions from LegCo members. According to the LegCo Secretariat, the forum is scheduled to run for up to two hours and conclude by 11:30 am at the latest. The presidential election will follow 10 minutes after the forum ends.

According to the LegCo Secretariat, the forum will be chaired by the most senior legislator not nominated as a candidate — currently DAB chairman Gary Chan Hak-kan.

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During the Q&A session, each member may ask only one question, limited to one minute. Each candidate’s response must not exceed two minutes, keeping each round of questioning and answers within five minutes. After the forum, the Secretariat will conduct the election by secret ballot, with votes counted in the presence of all attending members. The Secretariat noted that a second round will be held if the two candidates tie. Should a tie occur again, the winner will be decided by lots drawn by the Secretariat.

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The winner will take over from Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, concluding his nine-year tenure after he decided not to seek re-election. The new president will serve a four-year term, taking the helm of the eighth LegCo, whose 90 members began their terms on Jan 1 following the Dec 7 general election last year.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com