XN000022-1985-07-01 — Page 2

MONDAY, JULY 1, 1985

FINAL REGISTRATION RESULT SATISFACTORY

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THE SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION MR PETER TSAO THIS EVENING SAID HE WAS HAPPY WITH THE RESULT OF THE VOTER REGISTRATION EXERCISE FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS WHICH ENDED TODAY.

+WE HAVE A TOTAL REGISTRATION OF 66.3 PER CENT, A

FIGURE MUCH HIGHER THAN ANY OF THE PREVIOUS ELECTION REGISTRATION FIGURES AND EVEN THE LOWEST FIGURE IS 50 PER CENT, WHICH MEANS THAT IN EVERY ORGANISATION, HALF OR MORE THAN HALF OF THEIR MEMBERS HAVE IN FACT REGISTERED, HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT SOME 12 000 APPLICATIONS OUT OF A POSSIBLE TOTAL OF ABOUT 40 000 HAVE BEEN RECEIVED IN THE LATE REGISTRATION PERIOD, WHICH MEANS SOME 30 PER CENT OF THOSE WHO DID NOT REGISTER THE FIRST TIME CAME FORWARD THE SECOND TIME.

HE THOUGHT LAST MINUTE PUBLICITY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FINAL RESULT. STAFF OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION WHO WENT AROUND TO ALL THE TEACHERS WERE THANKED FOR THE IR EFFORTS. MR TSAO HIMSELF WROTE TO EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE CONSTITUENCIES WHO DID NOT REGISTER IN THE FIRST PHASE, SENDING 40 000 LETTERS IN ALL.

COMMENTING ON REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR THE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CONSTITUENCIES, MR TSAO POINTED OUT THAT NONE OF THE FIGURES WAS VERY FAR FROM THE AVERAGE, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE LOW COMPARED WITH THOSE OF THE OTHER CONSTITUENCIES, IN NONE OF THE ORGANISATIONS HAS THE RESULT BEEN DISAPPOINTING, HE SAID.

FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF VOTER REGISTRATION, THE NEXT JOB TO BE DONE IS TO ENACT ELECTORAL REGULATIONS TO SPELL OUT HOW ELECTIONS ARE TO BE CONDUCTED, SUCH AS THE VENUES, TIMING, AND NOMINATION AND ELECTION PROCEDURES.

+WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE THIS WITHIN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS MONTH. WE WILL THEN BE SENDING OUT NOMINATION FORMS TO ORGANISATIONS. THE ACTUAL NOMINATIONS SHOULD START ON AUGUST 2 AND CLOSE ON AUGUST 20, MR TSAO SAID.

THE DATE OF ELECTION WILL BE SOMETIME TOWARDS THE END OF SEPTEMBER, AND WILL BE ANNOUNCED ONCE IT HAS BEEN NOMINATED BY THE GOVERNOR, HE ADDED.

MR TSAO THOUGHT THAT THE INFORMAL PART OF THE ELECTIONEERING WILL START EARLIER, WHEN THE NOMINATION FORMS ARE MADE AVAILABLE. ALTHOUGH THERE WILL NOT BE A LONG PERIOD BETWEEN THE START OF LLECTIONEERING AND THE CLOSING DATE OF NOMINATION, MK TOAD THOUGHT CANDIDATES WOULD NOT NEED ALL THAT MUCH TIME.

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