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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1991
MANY PEOPLE UNCLEAR ABOUT THREE-TIER ELECTIONS: SURVEY
MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL UNCLEAR ABOUT HONG KONG'S THREE-TIER ELECTIONS, ACCORDING TO A TERRITORY-WIDE SURVEY.
FINDINGS OF THE "1990 OPINION SURVEY ON CIVIC EDUCATION" WERE ANNOUNCED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTER ON THE PROMOTION OF CIVIC EDUCATION, DR DANIEL TSE, TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE STUDY, COMMISSIONED BY THE COMMITTEE, WAS CONDUCTED BY INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES (HK) LTD AND INVOLVED INTERVIEWS WITH 1,000 PEOPLE AGED BETWEEN 15 AND 64.
DR TSE SAID THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SURVEY WERE TO COLLECT AND ANALYSE CURRENT VIEWS AND OPINIONS ON CIVIC EDUCATION AND TO MAKE RELEVANT COMPARISONS OF THESE FINDINGS WITH THOSE OF THE 1986 AND 1988 POLLS.
"EIGHTY-FIVE PER CENT OF THE RESPONDENTS KNOW THAT REGISTERED VOTERS CAN VOTE AT DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS. ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS KNOW THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION AS A VOTER," HE SAID.
OF THOSE WHO HAVE REGISTERED AS VOTERS, 55 PER CENT SAID THEY WOULD CAST THEIR BALLOTS IN THE FORTHCOMING DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS; 37 PER CENT WERE UNDECIDED WHILE ONLY THREE PER CENT SAID THEY WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE.
THE MAIN REASONS FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT INTEND TO VOTE ARE "DO NOT HAVE TIME" AND "HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THE CANDIDATES".
AS FOR THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS ELECTIONS, 49 PER CENT OF THE RESPONDENTS SAID REGISTERED VOTERS COULD ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE POLLS WHILE 51 PER CENT EITHER FELT OTHERWISE OR SAID THEY "DO NOT KNOW".
DR TSK NOTED THAT MOST PEOPLE WERE UNCLEAR ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS.
"ONLY 26 PER CENT SAID REGISTERED VOTERS COULD VOTE IN THE LEGCO ELECTIONS; WHILE THE REMAINDER EITHER SAID REGISTERED VOTERS COULD NOT VOTE OR THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW," HE SAID.
THE SURVEY, WHICH WAS CARRIED OUT BETWEEN NOVEMBER 26 AND DECEMBER 30 LAST YEAR, ALSO COVERED OTHER RELATED AREAS INCLUDING THE AWARENESS OF CIVIC EDUCATION, THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS FACING HONG KONG, ATTITUDES TO THE RULE OF LAW AND THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997.
DR TSE SAID 58 PER CENT AN EIGHT PER CENT INCREASE OVER THE SURVEY CONDUCTED IN 1988 OF THE RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF THE TERM "CIVIC EDUCATION".
"HOWEVER, OF THESE, 45 PER CENT SAID THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE OBJECTIVES OF CIVIC EDUCATION WERE.
/"MOST PEOPLE