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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1988
ELECTORS URGED TO VOTE
ON
THE SUCCESS OF DISTRICT BOARDS DEPENDS TO A GREAT EXTENT THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AND THERE IS NO Better WAY ΤΟ PLEDGE SUPPPORT THAN TURNING OUT TO VOTE ON MARCH FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DONALD LIAO, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY),
10. THE SECRETARY
ADDRESSING A ROTARY CLUB LUNCHRON MEETING,
MR LIAO SAID THE SYSTEM OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION HAD GROWN OUT OF A FINE TRADITION AND DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF HONG KONG.
"WE NEED BOTH THE COLLECTIVE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WISDOM OF OUR RESIDENTS TO HELP ITS FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.
"ELECTIONS ARE A PART OF THIS PROCESS TO SELECT THOSE WHO WILL REPRESENT AND SPEAK FOR THE COMMUNITY ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS.
"IF WE DO NOT REGISTER AND DO NOT VOTE, WE HAVE FORFEITED THE RIGHT TO TAKE PART IN THIS PROCESS, HE STRESSED.
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NOTING THAT 493 CANDIDATES HAD ACCEPTED NOMINATION
TO STAND FOR THE BLECTIONS, MR LIAO SAID, THE MARCH 10 ELECTIONS WOULD BE ANOTHER IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRICT BOARDS.
WHILE 90 PER CENT OF ALL SERVING ELECTED DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS WERE SEEKING RE-ELECTION, ALMOST HALF OF ALL THE CANDIDATES WERE STANDING FOR ELECTIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE SAID.
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MR LIAO OBSERVED THAT THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR THAT THE PEOPLE HONG KONG HAD PLEDGED THEIR SUPPORT ΤΟ THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME.
"IT IS GRATIFYING TO SEE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH TAKING PART IN THE ELECTIONS.
"IT ALSO INDICATES THAT THE OCCASIONAL CRITICISM OF POLITICAL APATHY AMONGST THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IS NO LONGER VALID, HE SAID.
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MR LIAO POINTED OUT THAT, TO PREPARE FOR THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, THE GOVERNMENT HAD REVIEWED THE CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES AND THE NUMBER OF SEATS ON EACH DISTRICT BOARD.
WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF PRRSERVING DISTRICT IDENTITY, THE REVIEW TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE POPULATION GROWTH AND MOVEMENT IN EACH CONSTITUENCY, HE SAID.
GENERAL SUPPORT
BASED ON THESE INFORMATION AND THE PUBLIC'S THAT THE PRESENT RATIO OF HAVING TWO ELECTED TO ONE APPOINTED MEMBER SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED, THE GOVERNMENT MADE SOME MINOR CHANGES TO THR BOUNDARIES OF 11 DISTRICTS, CREATED 12 NEW CONSTITURNCIES AND INCREASED THE NUMBER OF ELECTED SEATS BY 27 FROM 237 TO 264, HE ADDED.
/MR LIAO