XN000022-1983-02-04 — Page 5

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1983

HENCE, ALL THE REGISTERED ELECTORS IN THE THREE CONSTITUENCIES, TOTALLING 139 582, WILL NOT HAVE TO VOTE BECAUSE NO ELECTION WILL BE HELD.

ON ELECTION DAY, A TOTAL OF 134 POLLING STATIONS CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IN THE REMAINING 12 CONSTITUENCIES WILL OPEN FROM 7 AM TO 11 PM FOR ELIGIBLE ELECTORS TO CAST THE IR VOTES.

IN ORDER TO HELP INTRODUCE THE CANDIDATES AND PROMOTE THE ELECTIONS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID A SERIES OF PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS INCLUDING NEWSPAPER SUPPLEMENTS, SEMINARS, FUN FAIRS, ROAD SIDE BANNERS, POSTERS, TELEVISION AND RADIO PROGRAMMES HAVE BEEN ORGANISED BY CNTA, RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG AND INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

MEANWHILE, THE NAMES AND PARTICULARS OF THE U.C. CANDIDATES WERE PUBLISHED IN TODAY'S GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

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POPULATION ESTIMATED AT 5 287 800 ***

THE ESTIMATED POPULATION OF HONG KONG AT THE END OF DECEMBER 1982 WAS 5 287 800, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE ESTIMATE REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 80 800 PEOPLE OR 1.6 PER CENT OVER THE END OF 1981 FIGURE.

THE SLIGHTLY LOWER RATE OF INCREASE IN 1982 COMPARED WITH THE 1.7 PER CENT IN 1981 WAS MAINLY DUE TO A REDUCTION IN THE LEVEL OF NET IMMIGRATION.

NET IMMIGRATION, THAT IS THE BALANCE OF TOTAL ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES, WHICH HAD BEEN THE MAJOR FACTOR IN POPULATION GROWTH IN THE YEARS 1978-1980, ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY 19 419 PEOPLE OR 24.0 PER CENT OF TOTAL POPULATION GROWTH.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BIRTHS IN 1982 WAS 86 629. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS WAS 25 281. NATURAL INCREASE. THAT IS THE BALANCE OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS, AMOUNTED TO 61 348 PEOPLE OR 76.0 PER CENT OF POPULATION GROWTH IN 1982, AND THUS HAS BECOME THE DOMINANT FACTOR IN TOTAL POPULATION GROWTH.

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