XN000022-1991-09-15 — Page 3

SUNDAY »ITEMDER 15, 1931

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"THAT'S WHAT YOU EXPECT CANDIDATES TO DO AND JANY OF CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN VERY ENERGETIC. AND ALL OF YOU HERE HAVE BEEN PRETTY ENERGETIC IN GIVING PUBLICITY TO THE ELECTION AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GO OUT TO VOTE," HE SAID.

SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD PREDICTED THE TURNOUT RATE AT SOMEWHERE LIKE 50 PER CENT AND "THE OPINION POLLS WHICH WERE QUOTED IN ALL THE PRESS WHICH I SAW WERE FAR, FAR HIGHER THAN THAT; THEY WERE 60 PER CENT, SOME WERE GOING UP TO 70 PER CENT. AND IT WOULD BE VBRY INTERESTING; I HOPE THE PEOPLE WHO DID THOSE OPINION POLLS WILL RE-RUN THE WHOLE PROCESS; RE-RUN THEIR FIGURES; FIND OUT WHY THOSE ESTIMATES WERE WRONG.

11

'HONG KONG CROSSES HISTORICAL BENCHMARK *

HONG KONG HAS

SUCCESSFULLY CROSSED A HISTORICAL BENCHMARK TONIGHT WITH THE CLOSE OF THE FIRST-EVER DIRECT ELECTIONS FOR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MICHAEL BUEN, SAID.

THE

MR

MR

SPEAKING AT THE WINDING-UP PRESS BRIEFING ON THE ELECTIONS, SUEN NOTED THAT OVER 750,000 VOTERS TURNED UP AT THE POLLING STATIONS, A RECORD-HIGH NUMBER FOR ANY ELECTIONS IN THE TERRITORY.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE FINAL TURNOUT RATE OF 39.15 PER CENT WAS ALSO AN ALL-TIME HIGH FIGURE FOR ANY TERRITORY-WIDE ELECTIONS.

MR SUEN SAID HE WAS SATISFIED WITH THE RESULT THOUGH BOMB PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT THE FINAL FIGURES WERE OFF THE MARK OF EARLIER PREDICTIONS WHICH SUGGESTED THAT THE FINAL TURNOUT WOULD BE OVER 50 PER CENT.

SOMĖ

"THE FINAL TURNOUT RATE IS A SATISFACTORY FIGURE ALTHOUGH PEOPLE MAY NOT AGREE. WE SHOULD BEAR IN MIND THAT THE TURNOUT RATE IS NOT THE ONLY CRITERIA TO ASSESS THE SUCCESS OF AN ELECTION.

"IF WE LOOK AT THE ORGANISATION OF THE ELECTIONS, IT 19 A SUCCESS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SINGLE INCIDENT REPORTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH MORE THAN 750,000 VOTERS CASTING THEIR BALLOTS. IT IS A GOOD ELECTION.

"APART FROM THE TURNOUT RATE, WE ALSO NEED TO SEE HOW THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FUNCTIONS, WHICH IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT CRITERIA IN ASSESSING THIS ELECTION," HE SAID.

MR SUEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CARRY OUT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW INTO BVERY ASPECTS OF THE ELECTIONS.

THIS WOULD INCLUDE EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY ASPECTS WHICH WOULD HELP TO IMPROVE THE TURNOUT RATE AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS ON ELECTIONEERING FOR FUTURE POLLS, HE ADDED.

/ON WHETHER