XN000022-1985-03-01 — Page 2

HK NEEDS YOUR VOTE ******

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LIAO

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1935

WITH ONLY SIX DAYS TO THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DONALD LIAO TODAY URGED REGISTERED VOTERS TO GO TO THE POLLS ON MARCH 7.

+FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, 1985 IS A YEAR OF NEW POLITICAL INITIATIVES AND REFORMS. IN SIX DAYS' TIME, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL BE ELECTING THEIR REPRESENTATIVES IN THE FIRST TERRITORY-WIDE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, + MR LIAO SAID,

IN SIX MONTHS' TIME, IN SEPTEMBER, THE FIRST INDIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE CENTRAL LEGISLATIVE ORGAN OF THE GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE PLACE, HE ADDED.

+THE RESPONSIBILITY FALLS ON ALL OF US TO BUILD A REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT THAT HAS ITS ROOTS OF AUTHORITY IN THE PEOPLE OF OUR SOCIETY AND THAT WILL PRESERVE THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, MR LIAO TOLD A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB.

MR LIAO NOTED THAT IT WAS SAID IN THE PAST THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE NOT PARTICULARLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE IDEA OF VOTING, BUT IF THE RECORD OF THE PREVIOUS ELECTIONS IN 1982 IS ANYTHING TO GO BY, THE AVERAGE 38 PER CENT VOTER TURNOUT RATE HAS INDICATED THAT THIS ATTITUDE IS CHANGING,+ HE SAID.

+WE SHOULD, OF COURSE, TRY HARDER AND I WOULD HOPE THAT FOR THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS, THERE WILL BE AN EVEN HIGHER RATE OF VOTER TURNOUT.

MR LIAO SAID THAT DISTRICT BOARDS HAD CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED THE IR VALUE IN REFLECTING PUBLIC OPINION ON BOTH LOCAL AND TERRITORY-WIDE AFFAIRS, AND HAD OFFERED SOUND AND SENSIBLE ADVICE ON A WIDE RANGE OF MATTERS THAT WERE CLOSE TO THE HEART OF THE LOCAL RESIDENTS, AND THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN POSITIVE IN ITS RESPONSES.

+TOGETHER, DISTRICT BOARDS CONSTITUTE THE LARGEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE ORGAN IN VOICING THE VIEWS AND WORRIES OF THE MAN IN THE STREET IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

APART FROM THE IR ADVISORY ROLE, MR LIAO SAID DISTRICT BOARDS HAD ACHIEVED REMARKABLE RESULTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DISTRICT AFFAIRS AS WELL. THE IR IMPRESSIVE RECORD OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS AND RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES WAS THE BEST INDICATION OF THE BOARDS' CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AFTER THREE YEARS OF OPERATION, DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION HAD NOW BECOME AN INALIENABLE PART OF LIFE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND OPENED UP FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE PUBLIC CONSULTATION, PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT.

/IT ALSO