CONFIDENTIAL
4KK 01115
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1 0 MAR 1986
PA
TOP COPY
ELECTIONS TO URBAN COUNCIL AND REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS.
THE
1. ELECTIONS TO THE URBAN COUNCIL AND, FOR THE FIRST TIME,
REGIONAL COUNCIL (TO BE ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE SIMILAR MUNICIPAL
SERVICES FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES) WERE HELD ON 6 MARCH 1986. SEATS
IN 27 SINGLE-MEMBER CONSTITUENCIES WERE CONTESTED BY 79 CANDIDATES.
AT TOTAL OF 362725 PERSONS VOTED IN THE ELECTIONS, REPRESENTING 27
PER CENT OF THE 1.35 MILLION REGISTERED VOTERS. THE TURNOUT RATE FOR
THE REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS IS 35.9 PER CENT, INDICATING GOOD LOCAL SUPPORT FOR THE NEW COUNCIL. IN THE URBAN COUNCIL AREA, THE TURNOUT RATE IS 23.2 PER CENT WHICH IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THAT IN
THE LAST ELECTIONS IN 1983 BUT THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE OF 72
PER CENT IN THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF PERSONS COMING OUT TO VOTE. OVERALL,
THE RESULT IS VERY SATISFACTORY.
2. THE FINAL RESULTS HAVE JUST BECOME AVAILABLE AND HAVE YET TO BE
ANALYSED IN DETAIL. MORE THAN HALF OF THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES APE
FROM SOCIAL WORK AND EDUCATION SECTORS, FOLLOWED BY BUSINESSMEN AND
LAWYERS. THEY ARE YOUNGER (59 PER CENT BEING UNDER THE AGE OF 40)
AND BETTER EDUCATED (70 PER CENT HAVE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION). 10
OF THE 12 CANDIDATES WHO ARE INCUMBENT ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE URBAN
COUNCIL HAVE COME BACK. 4 CANDIDATES ELECTED TO THE REGIONAL COUNCIL
COME FROM HEUNG YEE KUK. 16 SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES ARE BACKED BY
VARIOUS POLITICAL GROUPS INCLUDING THE TRADITIONAL REFORM CLUB AND
CIVIC ASSOCIATION. ANOTHER 8 SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES ARE INCUMBENT
ELECTED DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS AND ONE IS AN APPOINTED BOARD
MEMBER. 3 CANDIDATES SUPPORTED BY LEFTIST UNIONS HAVE ALSO BEEN
RETURNED BUT NO OVERTLY KMT CANDIDATES.
3. IN ADDITION TO 15 APPOINTED MEMBERS, THE URBAN COUNCIL HAS 15
ELECTED MEMBERS WHO WILL ASSUME OFFICE FROM 1 APRIL 1986. FROM THE
SAME DATE, THE 12 ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL WILL
JOIN THE 9 REPRESENTATIVES ELECTED BY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS IN THE
NEW TERRITORIES, 12 APPOINTED MEMBERS, AND 3 EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
FROM HEUNG YEE KUK, TO FORM A COUNCIL OF 36 MEMBERS.
CONFIDENTIAL
14.
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