XN000022-1991-03-04 — Page 2

MONDAY, MARCH 4, 1991

GOVT SATISFIES WITH VOTER TURNOUT

*

THE GOVERNMENT IS SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS OF YESTERDAY'S DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR PETER TSAO, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON ON THE DB ELECTION RESULTS, MR TSAO REITERATED THAT THE 32.5 PER CENT VOTER TURNOUT, OR OVER 424,000 PEOPLE, WAS A RESPECTABLE FIGURE FOR DISTRICT LEVEL ELECTIONS AND THAT IT WOULD "PROVIDE US WITH A GOOD BASIS TO TAKE OTHER ELECTIONS FORWARD, IN PARTICULAR THE LEGCO ELECTIONS ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15."

AS TO THE CHOICE OF A SUNDAY FOR POLLING, MR TSAO SAID IT HAD SHOWN TO BE CONVENIENT TO VOTERS AS IT ALLOWED THEM TO PICK THEIR OWN TIME TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS.

AND AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF SUNDAY POLLING ALSO SHOWED THAT THE VOTING PATTERN THROUGHOUT THE DAY WAS EVENLY SPREAD WITH INCREASES OF TWO TO THREE PERCENTAGE POINTS EVERY HOUR.

"IT ALSO HAS THE ADDED ADVANTAGE OF ENABLING THE EXCELLENT . MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE ELECTIONS ΤΟ REACH A MUCH WIDER AUDIENCE. PUBLICITY DURING ELECTION DAY PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE TURNOUT.

"WE INTEND TO CONTINUE SUNDAY POLLING FOR THE NEXT TWO ROUNDS

OF ELECTIONS," MR TSAO SAID.

AS TO THE OUTCOME OF YESTERDAY'S ELECTIONS, MR TSAO SAID THAT OF THE 272 SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES, INCLUDING 81 WHO WERE ELECTED UNOPPOSED, 180 WERE INCUMBENT DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS.

THE MAJORITY, 248 OR 91 PER CENT, WERE MEN.

THE AGE DISTRIBUTION SHOWED THAT THE LARGEST GROUP, 124 OR 45

PER CENT, WERE AGED BETWEEN 31 AND 40.

MR TSAO ADDED THAT THE BUSINESS SECTOR HAD DONE WELL WITH OR 38 PER CENT, OF THE SEATS.

105,

COMING IN SECOND WERE EDUCATIONALISTS WITH 51 SEATS OR

18.8

PER CENT.

ALTHOUGH SOCIAL

WORKERS WERE THE THIRD LARGEST GROUP, PERCENTAGE TERMS THEY HAVE DROPPED FROM 14.8 PER CENT TO 7.4 PER CENT IN THE POLLS.

IN

FINALLY, MR TSAO CONGRATULATED ALL THE SUCCESSFUL

CANDIDATES

ON THEIR ELECTION TO THEIR DISTRICT BOARDS.

HE ALSO THANKED THE MEDIA FOR GIVING SUCH GOOD PUBLICITY ΤΟ THE ELECTIONS.

0

12