CONFIDENTIAL
1451
MDLIAN 072
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN MAY AND THE LEGCO ELECTIONS IN SEPTEMBER.
THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE NEW DBS
12. THE NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES FROM THE LIBERAL GROUPS TOTAL 81, AGAINST A TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF ALL THE DISTRICT BOARDS OF 441. THE KWAI TSING DB WILL CONTINUE TO BE DOMINATED AND CONTROLLED BY LIBERALS AS BEFORE. THE SHAM SHUI PO DB WILL SEE A LARGER LIBERAL PRESENCE, OCCUPYING 13 OUT OF THE 18 ELECTED SEATS BUT FALLING JUST SHORT OF AN ABSOLUTE MAJORITY IN THE WHOLE DB
BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF APPOINTED MEMBERS. THE BALANCE OF
POWER IN THE SHAM SHUI PO DB WILL BE DELICATE AND HIGHLY
SENSITIVE TO ANY SHIFTS IN ALIGNMENT OF ITS MEMBERS.
13. THE BALANCE OF POWER IN OTHER DBS WILL NOT BE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE. THERE WILL NATURALLY BE ADJUSTMENTS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. FOR INSTANCE, THE LIBERALS WILL BE MARGINALLY STRONGER IN EASTERN, TUEN MUN AND TSUEN WAN, WHILE THE CONSERVATIVES MADE GAINS IN CENTRAL/WESTERN. MONGKOK DB WILL HAVE A LARGER PRO-TAIWAN PRESENCE. THESE ADJUSTMENTS ARE HOWEVER OF THE NATURE OF FINE-TUNING AND WILL NOT UPSET THE STATUS QUO IN WHICH THE CONSERVATIVE FORCES (INCLUDING RURAL FORCES IN PREDOMINANTLY RURAL DISTRICTS) HAVE THE UPPER HAND.
FORD
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
63
ΜΑΙΝ
61
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
.(RESTRICTED)
PUSD RAD
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
NEWS D
PLANNERS
ADDITIONAL
2
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD
MR MCLAREN
MR BURNS
MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS MISS BROOKS LEGAL ADVISERS
4
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