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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
In 1985, the Provisional Regional Council held 12 meetings, which were open to the public. The council set up three functional select committees and nine geographically based district committees: the former dealt with finance and administration, environmental hygiene, recreation and culture while the latter considered all operational matters within the purview of the council for each district. Meetings of the select and district committees were also open to the public. All meetings of the council and committees were conducted in Chinese and English with simultaneous interpretation provided where necessary. Discus- sion papers issued to the council and committees were in both Chinese and English.
The Regional Council to be established in April will comprise 36 members, 12 of whom will be directly elected, nine indirectly elected from the district boards in the Regional Council area, 12 appointed, and three (the chairman and two vice-chairmen of the Heung Yee Kuk) will be ex-officio members. It will elect its own chairman. ]
The council will be a statutory body providing municipal services to 1.7 million people living in its area of responsibility. It will be a financially autonomous, corporate body with full control over its expenditure within the limits of its revenue resources. Its major sources of income will be from fees, charges and rates collected in its area. It will work through its executive department, the Regional Services Department, and it will be able to set up committees and sub-committees, within the basic framework provided for in the Regional Council Ordinance, for the better discharge of its functions.
The Regional Council will maintain a close liaison with the district boards and the Heung Yee Kuk (a statutory body, representing the indigenous inhabitants, which advises the government on New Territories affairs) to ensure that local aspirations are taken into account in its deliberations.
Liaison will also be maintained between the Regional Council and the Urban Council to ensure that the policies in respect of the provision of municipal services in the two areas are consistent.}
District Administration
District boards are statutory bodies established in 1982 to provide an effective forum for public consultation and participation.
There are 19 district boards throughout the territory. They consist of appointed unofficial members, elected members from the constituencies and Urban Councillors or rural committee chairmen. The elected members are in the majority. The boards have a mainly advisory role, with substantial responsibility for the management of district affairs. In monitoring the government's performance and achievements, the district boards discuss a wide range of matters affecting the well-being of residents in the districts. District boards have also been allocated public funds for local recreational and cultural activities and for minor environmental work.
District boards are serviced by their respective district management committees chaired by district officers and comprising local government officials. The district management committees provide a forum for inter-departmental consultation aimed at producing more effective government at the district level.
The second district board elections, which were the first held on a territory-wide scale, took place on March 7. In all, 501 candidates stood for election to 237 seats, with 24 of the candidates being returned unopposed. Of the 1.27 million registered voters in constituen- cies where seats were contested, 476 530 (or 37 per cent) turned out to vote, representing an increase of almost 140 000 voters compared with the elections in 1982. There were 150 000 registered electors in the uncontested constituencies.