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Let me summarise these statistics as follows. On 4th
March 1982, we held elections to District Boards in the New Territories. On that occasion, the number of potential voters was estimated at 695,000, but the number of registered voters was only 190,592, or about 27% of the potential voters. In the end, 97,788 votes were cast. Although this represents 51% turnout of registered voters, a record which CNTA Officials and people in the New Territories can be proud of, it only represents 14% of the potential voters.
The statistics of the elections to urban area District
Boards are even less heartening. On 23rd September 1 32, the number of potential voters was estimated at about 2.1 million, but only 689,959, or 33%, registered as voters. In the end, 244,976 votes were cast, or a 36% turnout of registered voters. Expressed as a percentage of potential voters, this is about 12%, not a very encouraging figure indeed.
If one is not satisfied with the election statistics
of the District Boards, one might feel somewhat discouraged by the statistics of the last Urban Council Election, held on 8th
March 1983, only about 17 months ago. In this exercise,
568,537 registered as voters. Taking the number of potential voters at 2.1 million, this means that only 27% of the
potential voters had registered. In the end, only 127,206 were cast, or 22.4% turnout of registered voters. Expressed as a percentage of potential voters, this is a mere 6%, a figure certainly small enough to discourage anyone thinking of direct
elections.
Based on the statistics I have just outlined, I am doubtful whether Hong Kong is now ready for direct elections to the Legislative Council. For any election to be meaningful and be representative of the people, I suggest that at least 50% potential voters should be registered and that there should be at least a two-thirds turnout of registered voters.
If Hong