XN000022-1994-09-18 — Page 7

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1994

THE CHAN,

18).

CHIEF SECRETARY SPEAKS AT ELECTION PRESS CENTRE

FOLLOWING

* * *

SECRETARY, IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE CHIEF SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA AT THE PRESS CENTRE ON SUNDAY

MRS

ANSON (SEPTEMBER

THE

MY

NUMBERS,

THE

MRS CHAN GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU ALL AFTER MY AN ABSENCE OF TWO AND A HALF WEEKS. AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE CUT SHORT LEAVE SPECIALLY TO COME BACK TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S VOTING FOR DISTRICT BOARDS. OBVIOUSLY, A LOT OF OTHER HONG KONG PEOPLE SHARE VIEW AND HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE VOTING SO FAR. IN ABSOLUTE I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT MORE PEOPLE HAVE VOTED AT THIS TIME OF DAY THAN FOR THE ELECTIONS IN 1991. SO OBVIOUSLY WE'RE VERY PLEASED. I OF TODAY. HOPE THE SAME GOOD TURNOUT RATE WILL PERSIST FOR THE REST

10.30PM. BUT THERE'RE STILL MANY HOURS TO GO BEFORE POLLING CLOSES AT AND I WOULD URGE EVERYBODY WHO HAS NOT YET VOTED TO PLEASE TURN UP AT THEIR RESPECTIVE POLLING STATIONS. THE GOVERNMENT HAS SPARED NO EFFORT BOARD AND NO EXPENSE THIS YEAR IN HELPING TO ENSURE THAT THE DISTRICT ELECTIONS WOULD BE A SUCCESS. WE'VE ALREADY INCURRED AN EXPENDITURE OF $9 MILLION. TODAY WE HAVE ABOUT 6,000 OF OUR CIVIL SERVANT

MADE TURNING UP TO MAN POLLING STATIONS AND COUNTING STATIONS. WE'VE

ACCESSIBLE ΤΟ PARTICULAR EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT POLLING STATIONS ARE

FOR EXAMPLE, 22 THE HANDICAPPED AND DISABLED PEOPLE. AND THERE ARE, POLLING STATIONS WHERE PEOPLE CAN VOTE OUTSIDE OF THEIR CONSTITUENCIES FOR THEIR CONVENIENCE. SO I REPEAT AGAIN, THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET VOTED

BELIEVE IT OUT AND VOTE BECAUSE I

IS PLEASE

EVERYBODY'S DO TURN

THE VOTE FOR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES ON RESPONSIBILITY

DISTRICT OF THE DISTRICT BOARD. THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, ALL MEMBERS BOARD WILL BE ELECTED AND DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS WILL ALSO BE ABLE

LEGISLATIVE RETURN 10 MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR THE 1995 COUNCIL ELECTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

то

COLLEAGUES

QUESTION : MRS CHAN, WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE TO THE INCREASD TURNOUT FAR TODAY ?

то

SO

IS

I THINK ELECTIONS. OF THE AFTER THE HEALTH

MRS CHAN OF COURSE, THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS AND THE BASE LARGER THAN FOR THE PREVIOUS ELECTIONS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT IS EVIDENT OF THE COMMUNITY'S BELIEF IN FAIR AND OPEN THE COMMUNITY ALSO OBVIOUSLY ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO THE WORK DISTRICT BOARDS IN ADVANCING THEIR INTEREST AND LOOKING ENVIRONMENT, LOOKING AFTER SOCIAL SERVICES, MEDICAL SERVICES, SERVICES. AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT THE VOTER TURNOUT THIS YEAR WILL BE SATISFACTORY ONE.

A

TODAY AS

QUESTION : MRS CHAN, DO YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE SHOULD VOTE OFFICALS OF BEIJING WOULD WANT TO KEEP THE EXISTING STRUCTURES ?

CHAN

:

SATISFACTORY

VERY

VOTER MRS

I THINK THE VOTER TURNOUT, THE

PEOPLE BELIEVE TURNOUT RATE SO FAR, EVIDENTLY DEMONSTRATES THAT THE

FAIR THAT THE ELECTION ARRANGEMENTS ARE WHAT THEY WANT, THAT THEY ARE

AT THE AND OPEN AND THEY WANT TO HAVE A SAY IN WHO REPRESENTS THEM DISTRICT BOARD LEVEL. AND I AM SURE THIS IS ALSO A GOOD SIGNAL FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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