XN000022-1985-05-07 — Page 2

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TUESDAY, MAY 7, 1985

REGISTRATION OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTORS

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A TOTAL OF 3 507 ORGANISATIONS AND 30 345 INDIVIDUALS HAVE REGISTERED THEMSELVES AS ELECTORS FOR THE FORTHCOMING LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS OVER THE PAST THREE WEEKS.

ANNOUNCING THIS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (TUESDAY), MR PETER TSAO, SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE RESPONSE COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER, IT NEVERTHELESS MARKED THE FIRST CONCRETE STEP TAKEN TOWARDS OPENING UP THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO ELECTED ELEMENTS.

+THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS ARE MORE EXCLUSIVE AND COMPLICATED THAN THE DISTRICT BOARD OR URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS. THAT IT HAS TAKEN A WHILE FOR PEOPLE TO BECOME ALERTED TO IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE. THE SERIOUS TIME CONSTRAINT ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXERCISE HAS NOT ALLOWED US TO PUBLICISE IT MORE WIDELY OR IN GREATER DETAILS, BUT MORE WILL BE DONE BEFORE REGISTERED ELECTORS GO TO THE POLL IN LATE SEPTEMBER, + MR TSAO PROMISED.

SPEAKING ON THE BREAKDOWN OF FIGURES, MR TSAO NOTED THAT AS EXPECTED, THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED KEEN INTEREST IN THE EXERCISE, THAT THE FIGURE IS NOT ONE HUNDRED PER CENT IS ONLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT SOME MEMBERS ARE CURRENTLY OUT OF TOWN AND WILL HAVE TO SIGN UP LATER DURING THE PERIOD FOR LATE_REGISTRATION,+ MR TSAO SAID, AS REGARDS THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, THE TEACHERS, ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, SURVEYORS AND TOWN PLANNERS HAVE RESPONDED BETTER THAN OTHERS IN THE +INDIVIDUAL+ CATEGORIES.

HOWEVER, IN TERMS OF HIGHEST PERCENTAGE THE LABOUR, FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES SECTORS HAVE ALL SCORED BETWEEN 82 PER CENT AND 75 PER CENT.

MR TSAO ALSO DREW ATTENTION TO THE REVISED ESTIMATED SIZE OF ELECTORATE.

+NOW THAT THE REGISTRATION AND ELECTORAL DIVISION HAS OBTAINED THE MEMBERSHIP LISTS OF ALL ORGANISATIONS CONCERNED, IT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE TO ARRIVE AT A MORE ACCURATE ESTIMATE OF THE SIZE OF EACH OF THE CONSTITUENCIES. AT THE SAME TIME ADJUSTMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT +CROSS MEMBERSHIPS+. SINCE A VOTER ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN MORE THAN ONE CONSTITUENCY MAY ONLY VOTE IN ONE CONSTITUENCY HE HAS TO CHOOSE IN WHICH CONSTITUENCY TO CAST HIS VOTE. IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT TRUE BASE FIGURES, DOUBLE COUNTING HAS HAD TO BE ELIMINATED. CERTAIN ADJUSTMENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN MADE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE PRESENCE OF EXPATRIATE MEMBERS IN SOME OF THE PROFESSIONS WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO REGISTER BECAUSE OF THE RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENT LAID DOWN IN THE RELEVANT LEGISLATION.+

/MR TSAO