Election officials on Friday proposed the inclusion of Lok Ma Chau Loop in geographical constituency plans for the upcoming Legislative Council election.

That would make the area part of the New Territories North constituency in the general election in December.

The public has been asked to express views on the matter in the coming month.

The Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) said that although the population of the area is projected to be zero in the middle of this year, it proposes including the plot anyway for the polls.

Commission chairman David Lok said he thinks it’s the right time to include the area.

“This year, we are seeing substantial developments in the loop, and the first three buildings in the loop district will become functional soon,” he said.

“So in such a case, the EAC would see that it would be an appropriate moment to include the loop in the present exercise to cater for future development.”

The judge said the inclusion is part of the statutory work that has to be carried out before each election.

He noted that a new law was gazetted on Friday to make it unnecessary for legislative and district councils' geographical boundaries to be linked.

The change would see, for example, Yuen Long, Sha Tin and Wong Tai Sin each have three district council areas that will be split across different constituencies, Lok added.

He said the moves are proposed so that the population represented would fall within required thresholds.

In Hong Kong East, the projected population is nearly 12 percent less than the number of people that the seats there are supposed to represent.

In northwestern New Territories, the projected figure is 13 percent more than the supposedly represented population.

But both percentages are still within the 15 percent range allowed, and therefore officials do not plan to change the relevant boundaries.

Lok said whether changes are needed in future depends on demographic changes.

He called on the people to register as voters, and pick the patriots they prefer to join the legislature for Hong Kong.