XN000022-1994-09-19 — Page 2

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1994

GOOD ELECTIONS MARK HONG KONG'S MATURITY

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THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, EARLY (MONDAY) MORNING SAID YESTERDAY WAS A GOOD DAY FOR HONG KONG AND THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE 1994 DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS WAS ANOTHER MARK OF HONG KONG'S MATURITY.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER HIS VISIT TO THE EASTERN DISTRICT COUNTING STATION, THE GOVERNOR SAID HE WAS PLEASED THAT ABOUT 270 000 MORE PEOPLE HAD VOTED IN THESE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS THAN IN THE LAST DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.

A TOTAL OF 693 223 OR 33.1 PER CENT OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS HAD VOTED IN YESTERDAY'S DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, COMPARED WITH THE VOTER TURNOUT OF 424 023 OR 32.5 PER CENT IN THE 1991 DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.

HIGHER

MR PATTEN SAID THE FIGURE WHICH WAS OVER 60 PER CENT THAN IN THE LAST DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, WAS QUITE AN ACHIEVEMENT.

"IT SHOULDN'T SURPRISE US THAT HONG KONG CAN CARRY THIS OFF WITH MATURITY AND SELF-CONFIDENCE," HE SAID.

"THIS IS A VERY SOPHISTICATED COMMUNITY AND IT DOESN'T SURPRISE YOU THAT MORE PEOPLE WANT TO PUT A STAMP ON THE WAY IN WHICH THEIR NEIGHBOURHOODS ARE RUN.

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THE GOVERNOR THANKED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION, MR JUSTICE WOO, HIS COLLEAGUES AND ALL THOSE INVOLVED ORGANISING THE ELECTIONS FOR A JOB WELL DONE.

"THEY HAVE DONE A FIRST-RATE JOB AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THEM, ALL OF THE STAFF WHO'VE MANNED THE POLLING STATIONS, ALL THOSE WHO ARE UNDERTAKING THE COUNT THIS EVENING AND THE POLICE WHO'VE HELPED AS WELL, HE ADDED.

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TRANSCRIPT OF GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION

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THE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTER HIS VISIT TO THE EASTERN COUNTING STATION THIS (MONDAY) MORNING: -

GOVERNOR: THIS'S BEEN A GOOD DAY FOR HONG KONG AND I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY THANKING MR JUSTICE WOO, THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION AND ALL THOSE WHO ORGANISE THE ELECTIONS. THEY HAVE DONE A FIRST-RATE JOB AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THEM, ALL OF THE STAFF WHO'VE MANNED THE POLLING STATIONS, ALL THOSE WHO ARE UNDERTAKING THE COUNT THIS EVENING AND, OF COURSE, THE POLICE WHO'VE HELPED AS WELL. BUT, ALL, WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY IS GRATEFUL JUSTICE WOO AND HIS COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMISSION.

ABOVE TO MR

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