XN000022-1994-05-04 — Page 6

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BEC'S BOUNDARY REVIEW IS FAIR

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J

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1994

THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION HAS STRUCK A FAIR BALANCE BETWEEN THE POPULATION CRITERION AND THE CONSIDERATIONS OF COMMUNITY IDENTITIES AND PRESERVATION OF LOCAL TIES IN ITS REVIEW CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES FOR THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL. (MC) ELECTIONS MARCH NEXT YEAR.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE COMMISSION'S CHAIRMAN, MR JUSTICE KWOK-HING, WHEN OUTLINING ITS LATEST RECOMMENDATIONS ON DELINEATION OF GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES FOR THE ELECTIONS.

OF

IN

WOO

THE

WAS

THE THREE-VOLUME REPORT CONTAINING THE RECOMMENDATIONS SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR LAST THURSDAY AND TABLED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY). FOLLOWING A MONTH-LONG CONSULTATION EXERCISE ON THE PROVISIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS RELEASED IN MARCH.

THE NUMBER OF GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES OF THE URBAN (UC) IS 32 AND THAT FOR THE REGIONAL COUNCIL (RC) IS 27.

SAID THERE WERE

ALTOGETHER

COUNCIL

THREE

MR JUSTICE WOO RECOMMENDED MUNICIPAL CONSTITUENCIES, EACH OF WHICH HAD A POPULATION BEYOND THE 25 PER CENT RANGE OF THE POPULATION QUOTA.

THEY ARE:

+

* "CENTRAL" IN UC AREA WHICH HAS A POPULATION OF 133,527,

BEING 33.66 PER CENT OVER THE UC POPULATION QUOTA;

* "MONG KOK" IN UC AREA WHICH HAS A POPULATION OF 136,035,

BEING 36.17 PER CENT ABOVE THE QUOTA;

* "ISLANDS" IN RC AREA WHICH HAS A POPULATION OF 63,378, BEING

38.80 PER CENT BELOW THE RC POPULATION QUOTA.

THE CHAIRMAN SAID THE POPULATION

DEVIATION, MAINLY AFFECTING THE YAU TSIM MONG, CENTRAL AND WESTERN, AND ISLANDS DISTRICTS, WAS TOLERABLE AND DESIRABLE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

"THE COMMISSION IS OF THE VIEW THAT [T IS DESIRABLE TO GO BEYOND THE RANGE IN THESE CASES FOR PAYING DUR REGARD ΤΟ THE CONSIDERATIONS OF COMMUNITY IDENTITIES AND PRESERVATION OF LOCAL TIES BY KEEPING MC CONSTITUENCIES WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT, HE SAID.

**

THE POPULATION QUOTA FOR AN UC CONSTITUENCY AREA IS 99,899 AND THAT FOR AN RC CONSTITUENCY AREA IS 103,564.

THE

INDIVIDUALS AND

HE ALSO EXPRESSED GRATITUDE TO ORGANISATIONS THAT HAD GIVEN VIEWS TO HELP THE COMMISSION'S DELIBERATIONS.

2.

DURING THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION BETWEEN MARCH 4 AND APRIL THE COMMISSION RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 57 WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS AND HELD NINE MEETINGS WITH INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS ΤΟ RECEIVE THEIR REPRESENTATIONS. OF ALL THE WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS, 33 WERE ON TSUEN WAN.

/"A CONSIDERABLE