XN000022-1993-08-30 — Page 3

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1993

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PERSONAL FACTORS SUCH AS AGE, SEX,

EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS AND INCOME LEVEL EXERTED A CONSIDERABLE DEGREE OF INFLUENCE ON THE RATES OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND VOTING TURNOUT.

PEOPLE WITH HIGHER INCOME AND HIGHER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT HAD A HIGHER RATE OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND VOTING TURNOUT, ACCORDING то THE SURVEY.

THE

AS TO THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF CANDIDATES, NEARLY ALL ELECTORS PLACED A HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THEIR ABILITY (88.7 PER CENT); COURAGE (80.8 PER CENT) AND POLITICAL PLATFORM (78.8 PER CENT),

THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND THAT NON-PARTICIPATION BY THOSE WHO HAVE NOT REGISTERED OR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT VOTED WAS NOT DUE то ANY ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIER OR BURDENSOME ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENT.

IT WAS PROBABLY DUE то SOME LONG-TERM UNDERLYING ATTITUDES EMBEDDED IN THE ELECTORS, IT ADDED.

MEANWHILE, THE RESEARCHERS MADE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS:

FIRSTLY, THAT FUTURE REGISTRATION

DRIVES AND ELECTORAL PUBLICITY SHOULD GIVE SPECIAL CONSIDERATION

ΤΟ THE RELATIVELY LESS ADVANTAGED SOCIAL GROUPS THE LESS EDUCATED AND LOW INCOME EARNERS - SO AS TO REDUCE THE STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE AND TO BOOST THE OVERALL PARTICIPATION RATE.

SECONDLY, THAT ON RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY, MEASURES BE CONCEIVED AND IMPLEMENTED TO FACILITATE THE RE-INTEGRATION OF THE ELECTORS AFTER THEIR MOVING INTO NEW HOMES.

THIRDLY, THAT A MORE SYSTEMATIC METHOD BE IMPLEMENTED TO INTRODUCE THE CANDIDATES TO THE ELECTORATE DURING THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD.

LASTLY, THAT MEASURES BE CONTEMPLATED ΤΟ FACILITATE DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN THE CANDIDATES AND ELECTORS.

ON THE

BUT EVEN THESE MEASURES COULD ONLY HAVE LIMITED EFFECT OVERALL ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION RATE IN THE SHORT TERM, THE RESEARCHERS CONCEDED.

IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT THE REGISTRATION AND TURNOUT PROPENSITY OF THE ELECTORS COULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY ENHANCED BY ANY ADMINISTRATIVE OR TECHNICAL ENDEAVOURS.

FOR TIUS REASON, ANY CHANGE IN PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES TOWARDS ELECTIONS COULD ONLY BE THE RESULT OF A GENERAL EVOLUTION OF THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, AND SUCH A PROCESS WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE TIME, THEY CONCLUDED.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE WELCOME TO COLLECT COPIES OF THE "VOTING BEHAVIOUR IN HONG KONG: A STUDY OF THE 1991 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DIRECT ELECTIONS" IN ENGLISH AT THE CIVIC EDUCATION RESOURCE CENTRE ON 29TH! FLOOR, SOUTHORN CENTRE, 130 HENNESSY ROAD, WAN CHAI. ENQUIRIES CAN BE MADE ON TEL 835 1529.

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