XN000022-1991-05-05 — Page 3

SUNDAY, MAY 5, 1991

"THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS HAVE TRADITIONALLY ATTRACTED DIFFERENT RATE FROM THE OTHER ELECTION CYCLES AND I WOULDN'T WANT ΤΟ FORECAST THE OUTCOME," MR TSAO ADDED.

THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, SAID HE HOPED THAT AS MANY CIVIL SERVANTS AS POSSIBLE WOULD COME OUT AND VOTE.

"AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY I HOPE THEY WILL SHOW THEIR INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SYSTEMS, MR WIGGHAM ADDED.

**

0

ENCOURAGING START FOR ELECTIONS

THERE IS AN ENCOURAGING VOTER TURNOUT IN THE FIRST THREE HOURS MUNICIPAL COUNCIL POLLING THIS MORNING, THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SUEN, SAID.

OF

SPEAKING AT A PRESS BRIEFING THIS MORNING, MR SUEN SAID THERE WAS AN INCREASE, BOTH IN THE NUMBER OF VOTERS AND IN THE PERCENTAGE, AS COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE LAST MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN 1989.

HE SAID SOME 44, 658 PEOPLE TURNED OUT TO VOTE IN THE FIRST THREE HOURS OF VOTING THIS MORNING, REPRESENTING 2.62 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTERS. THE PERCENTAGE IN THE LAST MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS WAS 2.3 PER CENT.

IN TERMS OF NUMBER, THE TURNOUT RATE

MR SUEN SAID, NOTING THAT CONSIDERABLY,

WAS ONLY 27,767.

HAD

INCREASED

TIME

LAST THE TOTAL NUMBER

НЕ ATTRIBUTED IT TO THE FACT THAT MOST OF THE CONSTITUENCIES THIS TIME HAD TO BE CONTESTED.

THE SECRETARY SAID HE WAS SATISFIED WITH THE TURNOUT RATE FAR AS COMPARED WITH THE RATE IN THE PREVIOUS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

90

COUNCIL

HE

THIS WAS A CHANCE FOR VOTERS TO SAID DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AND TO ELECT THOSE WHO COULD REPRESENT THEM IN COUNCILS.

PARTICIPATE

IN

THE

THE

MR SUEN SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVED THERE WAS A POLITICAL APARTHY AMONG THE LOCAL POPULATION.

"AS WE HAVE SEEN IN THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS WHICH TOOK PLACE

PEOPLE IN

OF MARCH THIS YEAR, THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER TURNING OUT

SIT TO VOTE, ELECTING THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO DISTRICT BOARD TO SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF, HE SAID.

ON

THE

"1

/HE ADDED