CONFIDENTIAL
C
XCX (20) 10
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candidature
is
established
Page
3
and electioneering
Once commences, the key factors in determining the outcome of the LegCo elections will be the local image and popularity of candidates, their expertise and experience in organizing an election campaign which appeals to the public, time and effort spent in gaining access to people at the grassroots level, and the availability of resources in terms of campaign workers, etc.
9
For the purposes of discussing the basis on which constituencies might be demarcated, we have assumed in the ensuing paragraphs that there will be 20 directly elected seats in 1991.
Single-member Constituencies
10.
the
Single-member constituencies are used - in Municipal Council elections and it was decided in the context of the 1988 White Paper that they should be introduced into the Legislative Council in 1991. The same arrangement is used in many countries, including the USA, UK and Canada. It is a simple system easily administered and well understood by the electorate.
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There has been no shortage of suggestions for demarcating single seat constituencies. One option, which is favoured by District Boards, is to use
to use existing DB boundaries as the basis with an additional seat for Kwun Tong, which has by far the largest district population. However there would be problems in justifying seats for low population districts such as Islands (62,000 residents). Nevertheless, the retention of existing DB constituency boundaries
boundaries would
would help to maintain linkage between DBS and the central government. Another alternative would be to have rough equality of population within the 20 constituencies while still having regard to existing DB boundaries. A possible mode of demarcation is set out at Annex C. The existing DB electoral boundaries would be largely retained, but with small districts such as Islands, Yau Tsim and Mongkok being combined with other districts. This should be generally acceptable to the public, but would
would no doubt be unpopular with some residents of the smaller districts.
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The assessment of District Officers of the City and New Territories Administration is that in single-member constituencies, national figures
figures without district links would have little
little chance of winning election. In the main the electorate would prefer candidates who were well known to them, closely identified with the district and who could be seen as representing the district's interests. As election campaigns
would need to be conducted
on a more personal basis at
the
CONFIDENTIAL