6.
The
The Council consists of 30 members, 15 of whom are appointed by
the Governor and the other 15 elected on a constituency basis. The
Chairman is elected by the Council from among its membership.
elected members automatically have seats on the urban District
Boards in whose areas their constituency lies and the appointed
members are also allocated seats on District Boards.
District Boards
They
7. There are 18 District Boards covering the whole territory.
provide a forum for public consultation and participation at the
district level, and have a mainly advisory role with a substantial
influence over district affairs. They are also allocated public
funds for local recreational and cultural activities and for minor
environmental works.
8. The District Boards consist of government officials, appointed unofficial members, 132 elected members from 122 constituencies, and
urban councillors or rural committee chairmen. They are supported by District Management Committees, consisting of government officials, which are responsible for servicing their respective
District Boards.
Electoral System for the Urban Council and the District Boards
9. All residents aged 21 or above who have been in Hong Kong for
seven or more years are eligible to be registered as electors.
There are 904,000 registered electors, out of an estimated total
potential electorate of about 2,700,000. Of these, 709,000 are
resident in the urban areas and can vote at the Urban Council and
urban District Board elections. The remaining 197,000 electors are resident in the New Territories and can vote only at the District
Board elections in the New Territories.
Hong Kong Department
September 1983