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Mr Landon Royden 19/3
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again FROM: CE Leeks
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Bahayded
Mr Layden
Sir W Harding
Harding
PS/Mr Renton
14/3
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14/3
14 March
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(8)
14/3/2
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A sahifacty result, waste an apparente successful use of dried
as
elections could prove double-edged.
HONG KONG: ELECTIONS TO THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS
1.
Ministers may wish to be aware of the outcome of the
elections to the Urban Council (URBCO) and Regional Council
(REGCO) held on 6 March; and of the possible implications
of this outcome.
14/2
The Elections
2.
municipal
Elections to URBCO, which provides
services to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, have been held
for many years (their roots go back
to the first Sanitary Board elections in 1888). Prior to the 1981 Hong Kong
Government Paper on constitutional development, elections
were held on a restricted franchise and invariably produced
a poor turnout (usually 10% of those registered to vote).
In 1983 URBCO was increased in size (to 15 appointed and 15
elected members) and the first elections were held on
wide franchise (requiring voters to be Hong Kong belongers
aged 21 or over and resident in the area URBCO serves).
3.
took
only
The second URBOO elections on this wide franchise
place on 6 March. They produced a turnout of (23.2%.
a little higher than the turnout of 22.4% in 1983, but
representing a substantial increase in the number actually
voting (nearly 219,000, compared to 127,000 in 1983) due to the success of recent Government efforts to persuade those
eligible to vote to register.
CONFIDENTIAL
14.