SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 1981
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GOVT INVITES PUBLIC TO TAKE PART IN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS
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THE GOVERNMENT'S INVITATION TO THE PUBLIC TO INVOLVE
THEMSELVES IN THE WORK OF THEIR DISTRICT BOARDS WILL BE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED ON TUESDAY (SEPTEMBER 1).
REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS FOR DISTRICT BOARDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE URBAN AREA AND FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL OCTOBER 12.
ALL THAT IS REQUIRED OF ANYONE TO APPLY FOR REGISTRATION IS TO FILL IN A FEW PERSONAL DETAILS IN AN APPLICATION FORM AND HAVE IT RETURNED TO THE REGISTRATION OFFICER BY PRE-PAID POST OR BY HANDING IT IN AT THE DISTRICT OFFICES.
ANYONE WHO IS OVER 21 AND HOLDS AN ID CARD AND WHO IS EITHER A HONG KONG BELONGER OR HAS BEEN ORDINARILY RESIDENT IN HONG KONG FOR SEVEN YEARS IS QUAL IF IED TO APPLY. HOWEVER THERE IS NO NEED FOR EXISTING URBAN COUNCIL ELECTORS TO APPLY AS THEY WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED.
THE REGISTRATION FORM, AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH OR CHINESE, WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT OVER 500 PLACES. BESIDES NT DISTRICT OFFICES, CITY DISTRICT OFFICES AND POST OFFICES, THE FORMS WILL BE OBTAINABLE AT ALL MTR STATIONS AS WELL AS BRANCH OFFICES OF THE HK AND SHANGHAI BANK, CHARTERED BANK AND HANG SENG BANK.
A LARGE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY ORGANISERS, SPECIALLY RECRUITED FOR THE JOB, WILL ALSO BE GOING OUT TO VILLAGES, PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND OTHER PARTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES TO DISTRIBUTE FORMS AND TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC ON COMPLETING THEM.
DIRECT TELEPHONE LINES (NOS. 5-270380 AND 5-270369) WILL ALSO BE OPERATED TO ANSWER QUERIES ON THE APPLICATION FORM AND ON REGISTRATION MATTERS.
FOLLOWING THE CLOSE OF REGISTRATION, A PROVISIONAL REGISTER WILL BE COMPILED AND PUBLISHED IN NOVEMBER. EVEN THEN, HOWEVER, APPLICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION WILL STILL BE CONSIDERED THOUGH THIS WILL HAVE TO BE MADE IN PERSON TO THE REGISTRATION OFFICER TO BEAT THE DEADLINE FOR THE FINAL REGISTER.
ONLY THOSE PEOPLE WHOSE NAMES ARE ON THIS FINAL REGISTER WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE AT THE NT DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN MARCH NEXT YEAR. EACH PERSON ON THIS REGISTER WILL BE SENT A POLLING CARD ADVISING HIM AT WHICH POLLING STATION HE SHOULD CAST HIS VOTE.
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