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When I attended the inauguration ceremony of the 23rd Tern of the
Heung Yee Kuk in 1978, I mentioned that the processes of consultation at
district level had been strengthened with the formation of the District
Advisory Boards. Now your Government is proposing a further step forward.
While maintaining the principal features of the present composition of District
Boards, the Green Paper on district administration proposes the addition of a
directly elected element so as to give them greater authority, to strengthen
their relationship with the local community, and to increase the public
accountability of the Board as a whole. These proposals have been received
with interest and in the New Territories they are generally well supported.
I must pay tribute to the Kuk who recognise the need to evolve; new channels
of communication with the large number of new arrivals in the towns of the
New Territories and who realise how vitally important it is to create a sense
of local concern about the way the towns, their amenities and their housing
estates are managed and developed.
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We believe
We are closely watching reactions to those parts of our proposals
which involve elections and will take full account of them. Our aim is a
satisfying life in a satisfactory community and only partnership between
responsible government and responsible citizenship can create this,
this partnership will be difficult to cultivate unless those people who want
to however selected are given an opportunity to involve themselves directly
in the administration and leadership of the community in which they live,
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and use the opportunity with energy and responsibility,
/However,