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Question: What is the factor for this high rate?
Governor: I think the main reason for the increasing number of people voting, if you look at the DB elections, if you look at the MC elections, is that people are not in any dangerous way; people are steadily more interested in having a say about the way their own lives are shaped. Obviously, people have been interested in the issues raised in the campaign. There have been some interesting, important debates. But, by and large, candidates have been talking about street corner, neighbourhood issues. And they involve people in that and that's why I think more people come out to vote. Clearly, the weather is a help as well. It's easier to go out to vote when the sun's shining than when it's pouring with rain. But nevertheless, I think overall this is part of the steady, unthreatening, maturing of this community and this society. And I think that should be welcomed. What I always think is surprising is when you go along to a polling station on a day like this, when you see Hong Kong conducting an election as maturely as this, you think to yourself what's all the fuss been about? What's the big deal? Hong Kong is capable of taking these sorts of things in its stride. One of the most sophisticated, one of the most successful, one of the most stable, one of the most prosperous communities in the world, of course, we can conduct things like the Municipal Council elections or DB elections or in the autumn Legislative Council elections without them being any threat to anybody, with them being part of the fabric of our society and of our Government.
Question: Do you think the high rate reflects a kind of degree of maturity in this civil mind of the people and so that becomes one of the threats that Beijing has to consider
constitutional affairs?
when ....
Governor: I don't think that any of us can make final judgments about the rate until 10.30 pm. There is still some time to go. And there are a lot of people who still haven't voted. But I think that it is important to look not just at the percentage turnout, but to remember that we're holding these elections against the backdrop of record registration of voters. So what's interesting is to see the absolute number of people who are going out and voting. And it's a very considerable increase and I have said in reply to two previous questions some of the reasons why I think that's happened. I think it is a totally natural development in a community like Hong Kong.
Question: About the incident this morning, what sort of appeal......