XN000022-1988-12-14 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1988

AGREEMENT TO STAGGER COUNCIL ELECTIONS

THE

ADMINISTRATION

HAS ACCEPTED

BY

A RECOMMENDATION LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS THAT THE ELECTIONS FOR DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS IN 1991 SHOULD BE STAGGERED.

THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG TOLD THE COUNCIL THIS TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WHEN SPEAKING IN THE SECOND READING DEBATE ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1988.

MR CHEUNG WAS CONVENER OF A LEGCO AD HOC GROUP WHICH EXAMINED THE BILL AS A PACKAGE ALONG WITH THE REGIONAL COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1988 AND THE URBAN COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1988.

THE LATTER TWO BILLS WERE ALSO BEFORE THE COUNCIL FOR SECOND AND THIRD READINGS.

MR CHEUNG SAID THE ADMINISTRATION HAD CITED A NUMBER OF VALID REASONS FOR ITS PREFERENCE TO AMALGAMATE THE TWO SETS OF ELECTIONS.

HOWEVER, MANY OF HIS LEGCO COLLEAGUES, WHO HAD PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED THE VIGOUR OF THESE ELECTIONS, WERE CONCERNED THAT то ADOPT SUCH A DRASTIC TRANSITIONAL CHANGE WOULD CREATE UNNECESSARY CONFUSION FOR VOTERS.

AFTER DETAILED DISCUSSION, THE ADMINISTRATION HAD AGREED THAT THE TWO SETS OF ELECTIONS SHOULD BE HELD SEPARATELY, IN MARCH AND MAY 1991, MR CHEUNG SAID.

HE EXPLAINED THAT ONE OBJECTIVE OF THE THREE BILLS WAS то ENABLE EACH OF THE 10 URBAN DISTRICT BOARDS то ELECT THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIVE TO SIT ON THE URBAN COUNCIL.

A SECOND OBJECTIVE WAS TO TERMINATE THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS WHEREBY URBAN COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO SERVED AS EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF URBAN DISTRICT BOARDS.

A FURTHER OBJECTIVE WAS ΤΟ ADJUST THE TERMS OF MUNICIPAL COUNCIL MEMBERS ELECTED IN MARCH NEXT YEAR AND OF DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS ELECTED IN 1991.

THE TERMS WOULD THUS FIT IN WITH THE NEW SEQUENCE OF ELECTIONS PROMULGATED IN THE 1988 WHITE PAPER ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT.

MR CHEUNG SAID THE AD HOC GROUP HAD ALSO EXAMINED THE QUESTION OF ELECTIONEERING ACTIVITIES ON POLLING DAY.

MIXED OPINIONS HAD BEEN EXPRESSED BY HIS COLLEAGUES.

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