XN000022-1985-09-22 — Page 2

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1985

INTEREST IN ELECTIONS PICKING UP ******

THERE HAS BEEN MORE INTEREST SHOWN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS THAN THE GOVERNMENT HAD EXPECTED AT FIRST, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

+PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY IDEA AT FIRST, BUT NOW THAT THEY HAVE SEEN HOW MUCH INTEREST THERE IS BEING SHOWN BY THE CANDIDATES IN THE CONSTITUENCIES AND BY THE EFFORTS THAT THEY ARE MAKING BEFORE THE ELECTIONS IN ORDER TO GET TO KNOW THEIR CONSTITUENCY AND THE ISSUES INVOLVED, THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT THE ELECTIONS.

+THIS IS A VERY ENCOURAGING SIGN, HE SAID.

SIR DAVID WAS SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE TA! PO RAILWAY STATION AFTER COMPLETING THE COMMUNITY CHEST WALK FOR MILLIONS ALONG THE TOLO HIGHWAY.

HE SAID HE WAS VERY ENCOURAGED BY THE AMOUNT OF INTEREST WHICH HAS BEEN PICKING UP IN THE ELECTIONS, AND IN WHAT THE CANDIDATES HAVE HAD TO SAY ON RADIO AND TELEVISION AND AT SEMINARS.

+PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THE KIND OF ELECTIONS THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE WERE VERY UNFAMILIAR; THEY HAVEN'T HEARD OF THIS KIND OF ELECTIONS BEFORE; THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT WAS GOING TO WORK AND NOW I THINK WE CAN SAY IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING.

+OF COURSE WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL THE ELECTIONS TAKE PLACE NEXT WEEK. BUT, SO FAR SO GOOD, HE SAID.

ASKED WHETHER THIS ENCOURAGING TREND WAS AN INDICATION FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS IN FUTURE, SIR DAVID SAID, NO, I MEAN PEOPLE MIGHT SAY THAT THIS IS SO GOOD THAT THEY WON'T WANT ANYTHING ELSE.+

SIR DAVID DECLINED TO PREDICT THE VOTING RATE.

*EACH CONSTITUENCY IS DIFFERENT AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT

INTERESTS INVOLVED, HE SAID.

IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION, SIR DAVID SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT ILLEGAL PRACTICES IN THE ELECTIONS.

ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD RECONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF SETTING UP A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND SINCE MANY LEGCO CANDIDATES WERE USING THIS AS THE IR PLATFORM. THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE AN OPEN MIND IN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM OF AN AGEING POPULATION.

/ HONG KONG