XN000022-1987-01-25 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 1987

ON CIVIC RIGHTS, MORE THAN HALF THE RESPONDENTS BELIEVED THAT A CITIZEN SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO ENJOY BOTH FREEDOM AND SOCIAL WELFARE 29 PER CENT OF THEM OPTED FOR THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS VIEWS, TO ELECT AND BE ELECTED.

+AS FOR CIVIC DUTIES, NEARLY A THIRD BELIEVED A CITIZEN SHOULD SERVE THE COMMUNITY, AND ONE QUARTER SAID HE SHOULD ABIDE BY LAW,+ HE SAID.

THE SURVEY FINDINGS ALSO INDICATED THAT MORE THAN HALF OF THE RESPONDENTS THOUGHT CIVIC EDUCATION SHOULD FIRST BE TAUGHT IN THE FAMILY.

+THEY BELIEVE THAT CIVIC EDUCATION COULD BE PROMOTED BY MAKING IT A SEPARATE SCHOOL SUBJECT, OR INTRODUCING IT THROUGH PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMMES ON THE MASS MEDIA,+ HE ADDED.

IN ADDITION, PUBLIC FORUMS AND SEMINARS WERE CITED EXTENSIVELY AS THE MOST EFFECTIVE CHANNELS FOR PROMOTING CIVIC AWARENESS.

TURNING TO ELECTION, MR CHAN NOTED THAT MORE THAN 40 PER CENT OF THE RESPONDENTS WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH QUALIFICATIONS TO BECOME VOTERS.

+MORE THAN 60 PER CENT OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS DID NOT REGISTER IN PREVIOUS REGISTRATIONS BECAUSE THEY FOUND IT TIME-CONSUMING AND UNINTERESTING,+ HE SAID.

+AND AMONG THE REGISTERED VOTERS, ONE-THIRD DID NOT POLL IN ANY ELECTION,+ HE ADDED.

+ RESPONDENTS BELIEVE THAT THE REASONS FOR THE LOW TURNOUT RATE IN ELECTIONS IN MONG KOK WERE THAT VOTERS WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CANDIDATES, UNINTERESTED IN POLITICS, AND LACKING A SENSE OF BELONGING TO THE DISTRICT,+ HE EXPLAINED.

RESULTS INDICATED THAT ONLY 11 PER CENT OF RESPONDENTS HAD TAKEN PART IN FUNCTIONS ORGANISED BY THE DISTRICT BOARD. THREE- QUARTERS OF THEM DID NOT JOIN ANY FORM OF ORGANISATIONS OR SOCIETIES.

NEARLY HALF THE RESPONDENTS SAW THE DISTRICT BOARD AS CHIEFLY AN AGENT FOR HANDLING PROBLEMS AND ENQUIRIES, MR CHAN SAID.

+THIRTY-ONE PER CENT OF THEM STATED THAT DISTRICT BOARD SHOULD REFLECT THE WELFARE NEEDS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS TO THE GOVERNMENT, + HE SAID.

THE SURVEY