XN000022-1990-03-21 — Page 6

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1990

THE NINE CONSTITUENCIES WILL BE:

HONG KONG ISLAND EAST, COMPRISING EASTERN DISTRICT AND WAN CHAI;

HONG KONG ISLAND WEST, COMPRISING CENTRAL AND WESTERN AND SOUTHERN;

KOWLOON EAST, COMPRISING KWUN TONG;

KOWLOON CENTRAL, COMPRISING WONG TAI SIN AND KOWLOON CITY;

KOWLOON WEST, COMPRISING SHAM SHUI PO, MONG KOK AND YAU TSIM;

NEW TERRITORIES NORTH, COMPRISING NORTH AND TAI PO;

NT EAST, COMPRISING SHA TIN AND SAI KUNG;

NT WEST, COMPRISING YUEN LONG AND TUEN MUN; AND

NT SOUTH, COMPRISING TSUEN WAN, KWAI TSING AND ISLANDS.

SIR DAVID SAID MOST PEOPLE SEEMED TO FAVOUR A SIMPLE "FIRST PAST THE POST" VOTING SYSTEM FOR THE DIRECT ELECTIONS, WITH EACH ELECTOR HAVING TWO VOTES, THIS WAS, ONE FOR EACH OF THE SEATS IN A CONSTITUENCY.

"THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ADOPTED FOR THE 1991 DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THIS COUNCIL. HOWEVER, THE PREFERENTIAL ELIMINATION VOTING SYSTEM, WHICH WAS USED SUCCESSFULLY IN THE 1988 INDIRECT ELECTIONS, WILL BE RETAINED FOR THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES," HE SAID.

REGISTERED

CONSTITUENCY FOR

ELECTORS WOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE IN A GEOGRAPHICAL THE DIRECT ELECTIONS AND, WHERE QUALIFIED, IN A

FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY.

TURNING TO THE VOTING AGE, SIR DAVID SAID: "WHEN WE LAST CANVASSED PUBLIC OPINION ON THIS QUESTION IN 1987, THE RESPONSE WAS A RESOUNDINGLY CONSERVATIVE ONE; THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IT AT 21. THE ARGUMENTS ARE FINELY BALANCED.

"

"YOUNG PEOPLE NOW MATURE BARLIER. THIS HAS BEEN RECOGNISED BY THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION, AND WE ARE ALREADY MOVING TO BRING THE AGE OF MAJORITY FOR SOME OTHER PRACTICAL MATTERS DOWN TO 18.

"ALSO WE WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP A GREATER SENSE OF INVOLVEMENT AMONGST YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE GOVERNMENT OF THEIR AFFAIRS. AGAINST THESE WE HAVE WEIGHED THE VERY MAJOR CHANGES ALREADY PROPOSED FOR 1991 AND THE NEED TO HASTEN CAUTIOUSLY, SIR DAVID SAID.

**IN ADDITION, EXPERIENCE OF VOTER REGISTRATION SO FAR SUGGESTS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LESS PREPARED TO COME FORWARD AS VOTERS. WE HAVE THEREFORE DECIDED FOR THE PRESENT TO MAINTAIN THE VOTING AGR AT 21, BUT TO CONSIDER LOWERING IT TO 18 IN 1995," HE ADDED.

/SIR DAVID