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CONFIDENTIAL
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REGISTRY Action Taken
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 01120OZ FCO
TELNO 882
OF 011047Z JUNE 93
INFO DESKBY 02020OZ PEKING
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST?
1994 DISTRICT BOARDS: NUMBER, NAMES AND PROPOSED BOUNDARIES OF DISTRICTS
SUMMARY
1. IN RELATION TO THE 1994 DISTRICT BOARDS (DBS) ELECTIONS, EXCO TODAY (1 JUNE) APPROVED (I) THE NUMBER (18) AND NAMES OF DISTRICTS: AND (II) THE PROPOSED BOUNDARIES OF THE DISTRICTS. THERE IS PRACTICAL NEED FOR THE DECISION ON (I) TO BE GAZETTED ON 4 JUNE (FRIDAY) IN ORDER THAT THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION
COMMISSION (BEC) CAN PROCEED WITH THE DRAWING UP OF DB CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES FOR ELECTIONS IN 1994. GAZETTING COULD AROUSE CHINESE SENSITIVITIES BUT WE DO NOT/NOT PROPOSE TO BRIEF
THEM BEFOREHAND.
DETAIL
2. THE BEC IS REQUIRED UNDER LAW TO SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR BY 31 DECEMBER 1993 RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE DEMARCATION OF DB CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES. WORKING BACKWARDS, AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT FOR A ONE MONTH PUBLIC CONSULTATION EXERCISE ON PROVISIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS, THE ABSOLUTELY LATEST TIME BY WHICH THE BEC MUST START DRAWING UP THE
CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES IS COMING AUGUST.
3.
IN ORDER THAT THE BEC CAN GO ABOUT ITS JOB, IT WILL NEED TO KNOW THE TOTAL NUMBER AS WELL AS THE NAMES OF THE DISTRICTS. SECTION 3(1A) OF THE DB ORDINANCE (CAP. 366) PROVIDED THAT THE RELEVANT NUMBER AND NAMES SHOULD BE MADE BY AN ORDER BY THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL. AS THIS ORDER IS SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION, WILL NEED TO BE GAZETTED AS A PUBLIC NOTICE AND TABLED BEFORE LEGCO FOR 28 DAYS FOR LEGCO'S SCRUTINY (LEGCO MAY, BY RESOLUTION, AMEND SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION TABLED BEFORE IT.)
IT
FOR THE 1994 DBS ELECTIONS, OUR PROPOSAL IS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS FROM 19 TO 18 BY MERGING YAU TSIM AND MONGKOK DISTRICTS ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR SMALL SIZES, SMALL/DECLINING
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