XN000022-1982-01-06 — Page 5

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1982

MR MACPHERSON SAID THIS WOULD NOT GIVE ANY ADVANTAGE TO WEALTHY CANDIDATES, BECAUSE ANY EXPENSES INCURRED BY A CANDIDATE OR HIS ELECTION AGENT FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF ELECTORS TO A POLLING STATION WOULD HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR UNDER THE ELECTION EXPENSES LIMIT OF $10 000.

MR MACPHERSON ALSO MOVED THE SECOND READING OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND DISTRICT BOARDS (ELECTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS OF MEMBERS) (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) BILL 1982.

HE SAID THIS BILL SOUGHT TO MAKE CERTAIN MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS SUPPLEMENTING THE MAIN LEGISLATION ENACTED IN JULY LAST YEAR IN RESPECT OF THE ELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS TO THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS.

IF ENACTED, THE EFFECTS OF THE BILL WERE, FIRST, TO MAKE IT UNNECESSARY FOR A SEPERATE REGISTER OF ELECTORS TO BE COMPILED UNDER THE EXISTING URBAN COUNCIL ORDINANCE IN 1982, HE SAID.

A FULL SCALE EXERCISE FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS IN THE URBAN AREAS WOULD BE CONDUCTED IN MARCH AND APRIL THIS YEAR.

THOSE WHO REGISTERED IN THE URBAN AREA WOULD BE ENTITLED TO VOTE AT BOTH THE URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS AND THE URBAN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, HE SAID.

SECONDLY, IF THERE WAS A NEED TO HOLD A BY-ELECTION TO THE URBAN COUNCIL BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 1982, THE FINAL REGISTER OF ELECTORS FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL WHICH WAS COMPILED IN DECEMBER 1980, AND THE EXISTING ELECTORAL PROVISIONS IN THE URBAN COUNCIL ORDINANCE WOULD BE USED.

THIRDLY, HE SAID, ELECTION PETITIONS UNDER THE ELECTORAL PROVISIONS ORDINANCE, LIKE ELECTION PETITIONS UNDER THE URBAN COUNCIL ORDINANCE, WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR LEGAL AID.

FOURTHLY, IN LINE WITH THE PROVISIONS FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS, PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN CONVICTED IN THE PAST 10 YEARS OF AN OFFENCE UNDER THE PREVENTION OF BRIBERY ORDINANCE WOULD BE DISQUALIFIED FROM BEING ELECTED OR APPOINTED TO CERTAIN PUBLIC BODIES.

AND, LASTLY, MR MACPHERSON SAID, THE BILL MADE PROVISION TO ENABLE ANY URBAN RESIDENT, WHO HAD APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION AS AN ELECTOR AND WHOSE APPLICATION HAD BEEN RECEIVED BY THE REGISTRATION OFFICER TO BE APPOINTED TO THE NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICT BOARDS TO BE ESTABLISHED IN APRIL, 1982.

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