XN000022-1991-09-12 — Page 5

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1991

47 PER CENT TURNOUT RATE SATISFACTORY

THE

LEGISLATIVE

47 PER CENT OVERALL TURNOUT RATE FOR THE 1991 FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS IS A SATISFACTORY RESULT, THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SUEN, SAID AFTER THE CLOSING OF THE POLL.

THIS WOULD MEAN 22,919 OF THE 48,756 ELIGIBLE VOTERS HAD TURNED OUT TO VOTE IN THE ELECTIONS, HE SAID.

IN WRAPPING UP THE ELECTIONS, MR SUEN TOLD A THAT THE FINAL TURNOUT MIGHT BE A BIT LOWER THAN EXPECTED. HE BELIEVED WHICH THAT THIS MIGHT BE DUE TO THE HEAVY DOWNPOUR IN THE EVENING WAS TRADITIONALLY THE PEAK TIME FOR VOTERS TO GO TO POLLING STATIONS.

PRESS

BRIEFING

IN A

HE NOTED THAT THERE WERE REPORTS OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION NUMBER OF AREAS WHICH MIGHT ALSO DETER VOTERS GOING TO THE POLL.

IN GENERAL, HE SAID, THE ELECTION WAS A GOOD ONE AS EVERYONE COULD SEE THAT A VERY GOOD ATMOSPHERE WAS BEING BUILT UP THROUGHOUT THE DAY,

AND

"THE

GOOD CONDUCT OF BOTH THE CANDIDATES AND VOTERS HAS BEEN ORDERLY, AND WE HAVE RECEIVED NO COMPLAINT AT ANY OF THE POLLING

STATIONS.

"ALL THESE SHOW THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE GETTING MORE MATURE IN ELECTIONS," HE SAID.

THE

MR SUEN NOTED THAT SEVEN OUT OF THE NINE CONTESTING FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES HAD A TURNOUT RATE HIGHER THAN 50 PER CENT, LED BY NEWLY FORMED FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES TOURISM WITH 85.95 CENT AND FINANCIAL SERVICES WITH 80.12 PER CENT.

TWO

PER

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CARRY OUT À COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE ELECTION FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO THE POLLING PROCEDURES AND WAYS TO FACILITATE VOTERS TO TURN UP AT POLLING STATIONS.

0

TURNOUT RATE CONSIDERED FAVOURABLE

THE TURNOUT RATES OF MOST FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES HAVE BEEN VERY FAVOURABLE WHEN COMPARED TO THE FIGURES OF 1988, THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SUEN, SAID THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING,

A

SPEAKING AT A PRESS BRIEFING, MR SUEN NOTED THAT ALL FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, EXCEPT THE TEACHING PROFESSION, HAD SO FAR RECORDED HIGHER TURNOUT RATE THAN THE PREVIOUS ELECTIONS.

/HE SAID