(a)
District Boards
16.
CONFIDENTIAL
While a representative
system of locally elected elders and
councils serving the indigenous population of the New Territories, under the umbrella of the Heung Yee Kuk, had existed for many years,
to late 1970s, sought
the Hong Kong Government,
more
broadly based
district
government period
level,
and
in the
in
introduce
at government
the
the
trial
in
participation popular
to fill the gap
in consultation between
Following a the residents of the New Towns.
with District Advisory Boards in the 8 administrative districts in the New Territories, and City District Committees
the 10 urban districts, District Boards in the New Territories became statutory bodies in April 1982. Urban District Boards became
statutory six months later.
The Boards' membership comprised
members elected by constituencies,
members, appointed unofficial government officials and either Urban Councillors or chairmen of New Territories rural committees. They had mainly an advisory role, with some responsibility for the management of district affairs.
Hong Kong
17.
In
1984 the
of
Government
announced
that
the
representative status of the District Boards was to be strengthened by increasing the size of the elected element. Elections in March 1985 returned 237 elected members, an increase of 105 from 132.
There are
369
in unofficial members
19 District Boards; each Board elects its own Chairman; and there are no longer any official
members.
now
At the beginning of 1985 the electoral roll carried over
names,
representing
49% of
an
estimated
total
1.4
18.
million
potential
electorate of 2.9 million. Of those registered, over 995,000 were
in the urban resident
Council election s and at
areas
and
District
constituencies;
and
entitled to vote
thus entitled to vote at Urban
Board elections for urban
426,000 over
in the New Territories we re resident
in the New Board District at
elections
area
Territories and at elections for the new Regional Council to be held
in March 1986.
- 6 -
CONFIDENTIAL