CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
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districts throughout the territory the previous year. The objective behind establishing district boards is to provide a balanced and representative platform for public consultation and participation at the district level. District boards consist of government officials, appointed unofficial members, elected members from the constituencies and Urban Councillors or rural committee chairmen, and have a mainly advisory role with a substantial influence over district affairs.
In monitoring the government's performance and achievements at the district level, the boards discuss a wide range of matters affecting the well-being of those who live or work in the district. All district boards have been allocated public funds for local recreational and cultural activities and for minor environmental improvement work. Meetings are normally held once every two months. Each district board has established a network of committees to deal with matters such as environmental improvement, traffic and transport, community building, recreation and sports, and district social services. In 1983, over 70 district board committees were set up in the 18 districts.
District management committees consist of government officials and serve as the executive arm of district boards to produce effective and responsive government at the district level.
The district boards in the New Territories became statutory bodies, in accordance with the provisions of the District Boards Ordinance, on April 1, 1982, while the urban area district boards became statutory bodies on October 1, 1982. The current term of office for all district boards and members will expire on March 31, 1985. Of the total of 489 seats on the district boards, about one-third of the board members are official members, one-third are appointed unofficials and the remainder are elected unofficials.
Links with the Urban Council and the Heung Yee Kuk
District boards in Hong Kong and Kowloon and in the New Territories are linked with the Urban Council and the Heung Yee Kuk - a statutory body which represents the indigenous population of the New Territories and advises the government on New Territories matters. Urban area district boards provide seats for elected and appointed Urban Councillors while New Territories district boards have seats reserved for rural committee chairmen.
Electoral System for the Urban Council and District Boards
Elections to the Urban Council and district boards are based on a wide franchise and on electors voting in constituencies. The franchise is very broad: practically everyone who is over 21 years of age and who has been resident in Hong Kong for over seven years, or who is a Hong Kong belonger, is eligible to be registered as an elector in the constituency in which he lives. There is no compulsory or automatic registration of electors. Any person who meets the requirements and who wishes to become an elector may apply to be registered at the time fixed annually for the registration of new electors. At the end of 1983, there were 904 916 registered electors, representing about 32 per cent of an estimated total potential electorate of 2.8 million. Of these electors, 708 119 are resident in the urban areas and are entitled to vote at Urban Council elections and at district board elections in the urban areas; the remaining 196 797 are resident in the New Territories and are entitled to vote only at district board elections in the New Territories.
An elector may vote only in the constituency in which he has been registered. For Urban Council elections, there are 15 constituencies, each constituency area being made up of a number of district board constituencies in the urban areas. For district board elections, the territory is divided into 18 districts, 10 in the urban areas and eight in the New Territories.