XN000022-1984-08-14 — Page 3

TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1984

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SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR NEXT YEAR'S ELECTIONS

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DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS CHOSEN FROM NEXT YEAR'S ELECTIONS WILL HAVE A TWO-FOLD RESPONSIBILITY: TO THE DISTRICT'S PARTICULAR NEEDS AND TO THE GENERAL AFFAIRS OF THE TERRITORY AS A WHOLE.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE KOWLOON CITY DISTRICT OFFICER, MR ROGER GARCIA, IN A LETTER TO LOCAL RESIDENTS URGING THEM TO REGISTER AS VOTERS AND TO VOTE IN THE ELECTIONS.

HE SAID NEXT YEAR'S ELECTIONS WOULD TAKE ON A SIGNIFICANT DIMENSION AS A RESULT OF THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

+ IF THE GREEN PAPER'S PROPOSALS ARE AGREED, THEN ALL DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE, AND STAND FOR SEATS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID.

FURTHERMORE, HE SAID, THE NUMBER OF ELECTED SEATS ON THE KOWLOON CITY DISTRICT BOARD WOULD BE DOUBLED FROM EIGHT TO 16.

MR GARCIA SAID THE IMPACT OF DISTRICT BOARDS ON THE COMMUNITY HAD BEEN FAR REACHING ALTHOUGH THEY HAD BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR ONLY A SHORT TIME.

+FOR THIS SYSTEM TO BE A SUCCESS, AND TO GIVE OUR DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS THE SUPPORT THEY DESERVE, THE ELECTIONS MUST ALSO BE SUCCESSFUL AND THAT IS WHERE YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT, + HE SAID.

THOSE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN THE 1982 URBAN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS OR THE 1983 URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS ARE AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED TO VOTE IN 1985.

HE URGED THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET REGISTERED TO DO SO NOW.

ALL THAT THEY NEED TO DO IS TO COMPLETE AND RETURN THE REGISTRATION FORM.

+UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR FORM, YOUR NAME WILL BE ENTERED INTO THE ELECTORAL ROLL AND, SHORTLY BEFORE ELECTION DAY ON MARCH 7, YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR POLLING CARD AND THE ADDRESS OF THE POLLING STATION AT WHICH YOU SHOULD CAST YOUR VOTE,+ HE EXPLAINED.

MR GARCIA ADDED THAT THE DISTRICT OFFICE HAD ALREADY BEGUN DOOR-TO-DOOR VISITS AND WOULD START WITH MOBILE COUNTERS TO HELP WITH THE REGISTRATION.

+WE HAVE REACHED AN IMPORTANT STAGE IN THE PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR GOVERNMENT SYSTEM. YOUR VOTE IS FUNDAMENTAL TO ITS SUCCESS, HE SAID.

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