FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1985
+
I
+ THE MAIN CHALLENGE, THINK, WILL BE TO ENSURE THAT THE FEELINGS IN THEIR DISTRICTS ARE FULLY REFLECTED BOTH TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE AND TO THE GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY MUCH NOW THE ORGANISATIONS TO WHICH WE LOOK TO REFLECT PUBLIC OPINION BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY CLOSE TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
+THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON. SO I THINK THEY WILL HAVE QUITE A ROLE IN SHAPING POLICY IN THE FUTURE,+ HE ADDED.
ASKED IF THE DISTRICT BOARDS WILL BE GIVEN MORE POWER SOME YEARS LATER, HE SAID: +WE WILL HAVE TO SEE HOW THE SYSTEM IN HONG KONG DEVELOPS, BUT I THINK THERE IS ALREADY A PRETTY AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME OF DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG, THAT STRETCHES US THROUGH THIS YEAR ON TO NEXT YEAR AND THE REVIEW IN 1987. I THINK WE HAVE QUITE A LOT ON OUR PLATE ALREADY.+
ON A PROVISION IN THE ELECTORAL BILL ON ABSOLUTE MAJORITY, SIR EDWARD EXPLAINED:
+THE REASON FOR THAT IS WE ARE LOOKING FOR A WIDE RANGE OF SUPPORT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE, RATHER THAN FRAGMENTED SUPPORT, AND THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT SYSTEM IS THAT IT WILL SHOW A WIDE RANGE.
+BUT IT IS NOT TOO DIFFICULT TO ENSURE BY A VARIETY OF MEANS WHICH WILL COME OUT IN THE REGULATIONS HOW THAT WILL BE DONE. +
MORE THAN 470 000 PEOPLE CAST VOTES
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A TOTAL OF 476 530 PEOPLE CAST THEIR VOTES IN HONG KONG'S FIRST TERRITORY-WIDE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.
THIS SURPASSES THE 1982 ELECTION FIGURES BY 133 905.
VOTING, PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST FEW HOURS OF POLLING, WAS HECTIC, AND IN SOME DISTRICTS VOTERS JAM PACKED THE POLLING STATIONS.
+
MANY, WHO WAITED UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO VOTE, COULD NOT GET INTO THE POLLING STATIONS WHEN THE GATES CLOSED AT 10.30 PM.
COMMENTING ON THE FINAL RESULTS OF THE ELECTIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DONALD LIAO, SAID: +THE FIGURES ARE A VERY SATISFACTORY ONE, WHICH WE ALL IN HONG KONG SHOULD BE DUELY PROUD OF.+
+THIS IS A GOOD INDICATION THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE AWARE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES IN CHOOSING PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT ONLY REPRESENT THEM ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS. BUT MANY OF WHOM WILL BE THEIR SPOKESMEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID.
SAID.
+IT HAS BEEN A VERY EXCITING AND INTERESTING DAY, MR LIAO
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