UN
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1983
BRUARY
MR LAM TOLD THE ROTARIANS THAT THE COMING URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS WOULD BE HELD IN A NEW AND DIFFERENT STYLE - ON A CONSTITUENCY BASIS -- MEANING THAT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF HONG KONG WOULD ELECT THE IR OWN COUNCILLORS TO PRESENT THEM ON THE URBAN COUNCIL.
THERE WILL BE 15 SEATS, ONE IN EACH OF THE 15 CONSTITUENCIES, THUS INCREASING THE EXISTING NUMBER OF 12 ELECTED URBAN COUNCILLORS BY THREE TO 15.
THE MEMBERS WILL BE ELECTED IN GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES OF BROADLY 250 000 POPULATION EACH.
MR LAM POINTED OUT THAT THE 41 CANDIDATES NOMINATED FOR NEXT MONTH'S ELECTIONS HAD COME FROM A BROAD SPECTRUM OF OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS INCLUDING BUSINESSMEN, TEACHERS, BANK OFFICERS, LAWYERS, ENGINEERS, DESIGNERS, DOCTORS, HEADMASTERS, FACTORY WORKERS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND CLERKS.
TEN OF THESE CANDIDATES ARE SERVING URBAN COUNCILLORS AND 11 ARE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS.
THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE CANDIDATES IS 44: THE YOUNGEST IS 27 AND THE OLDEST IS 70. NEARLY 40 PER CENT ARE BETWEEN 31 AND 40 YEARS OF AGE.
+OF THESE 41 CANDIDATES, THREE HAVE BEEN AUTOMATICALLY ELECTED AS THEY ARE UNCONTESTED IN THEIR CONSTITUENCIES, MR LAM SAID.
+THIS LEAVES 38 CANDIDATES COMPETING FOR THE 12 SEATS IN THE REMAINING 12 CONSTITUENCIES.
*THE MOST HOTLY CONTESTED CONSTITUENCIES WILL BE SHAM SHUI PO WEST WHERE FIVE CANDIDATES ARE COMPETING FOR ONE SEAT. OTHERS INCLUDE NORTH POINT AND KOWLOON CITY WEST, BOTH OF WHICH WILL HAVE FOUR CANDIDATES EACH.
+AS THERE ARE THREE UNCONTESTED CONSTITUENCIES, ABOUT 140 000 REGISTERED ELECTORS WILL NOT HAVE TO VOTE.
+THIS LEAVES ROUGHLY 570 000 REGISTERED VOTERS WHO CAN VOTE
IN THE 12 CONSTITUENCIES WHERE ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD.
+THESE FIGURES INCLUDE THOSE WHO HAVE REGISTERED AS ELECTORS IN PAST URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS AND THE URBAN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, AND THOSE WHO REGISTERED IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER LAST YEAR.
MR LAM WENT ON TO SAY THAT ALL REGISTERED VOTERS WOULD RECEIVE A POLL CARD ABOUT 10 DAYS BEFORE THE POLLING DAY, REMINDING THEM WHEN AND WHERE TO CAST THE IR VOTES.
+HOWEVER, TO GAIN ADMISSION TO A POLLING STATION, A REGISTERED ELECTOR MUST PRODUCE HIS IDENTITY CARD OR SOME PROOF OF IDENTITY, WHEREAS HIS POLL CARD IS NOT ESSENTIAL FOR HIS ADMISSION, HE SAID.
/+THERE WILL