CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 779
OF 120945Z MARCH 91
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
MAR oll
ра
Poritical
parties
153451
MDLIAN 5072
TOP COPY Q DIST?
ED
ico
Q
6/ thing on/7
ANALYSIS OF DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS
OUR TELNO 346 AND 671
SUMMARY
THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES WITH POLITICAL AFFILIATION WHO WON IN THE DB ELECTIONS ON 3 MARCH IS LIKELY TO BE AROUND 146, AGAINST THE TOTAL DB MEMBERSHIP (INCLUDING APPOINTED MEMBERS) OF
441. OF THESE THE LIBERALS HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR 81. WHILST VARIOUS POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS HAVE CLAIMED SUCCESS IN THE DB ELECTIONS,
IT IS DOUBTFUL WHETHER THE SUCCESS OF INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATES WAS
AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THEIR POLITICAL AFFILIATION. NEVERTHELESS
THE ELECTIONS PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE VARIOUS POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS TO ASSESS THEIR INFLUENCE AND SUPPORT (THROUGH INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS IF NOT BASED ON THE QUOTE PARTY UNQUOTE) IN PARTICULAR DISTRICTS SO AS TO REFINE THEIR ELECTION AND CAMPAIGN STRATEGY FOR THE COMING MUNICIPAL COUNCIL AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS.
PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES OF VARIOUS POLITICAL GROUPS
2. THE LIBERALS AND PARTICULARLY THE UNITED DEMOCRATS OF HONG
KONG CUDHK) CHOSE TO TAKE A HIGH PUBLIC PROFILE IN THIS ELECTION
AND MADE PUBLIC BEFORE OR DURING THE NOMINATION PERIOD THE CANDIDATES WHICH THEY FIELDED. DURING THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN, THESE CANDIDATES OPENLY IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES WITH UDHK OR OTHER LIBERAL GROUPS. BY CONTRAST, PRO-CHINA GROUPS, INCLUDING THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS (FTU) WAS RATHER LOW-KEY, PROBABLY OUT OF FEAR THAT TOO CLOSE AN IDENTIFICATION WITH CHINA
MIGHT HURT RATHER THAN HELP THEIR CANDIDATES. THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION (LDF), ON THE OTHER HAND, ATTRACTED MUCH MEDIA ATTENTION BY CLAIMING TO HAVE FIELDED OR SUPPORTED A LARGE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES WHILE ONLY DISCLOSING THE NAMES OF 35. THE LDF'S APPROACH DREW CRITICISM FROM THE LIBERALS, POLITICAL COMMENTATORS AND THE PRESS, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE AFTER THE ELECTION RESULTS WERE ANNOUNCED, THE LDF BOOSTED ITS NUMBER OF CANDIDATES UP TO 89. THE IDENTITY OF ALL BUT 35 OF THESE IS STILL
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