XN000022-1995-03-05 — Page 3

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Transcript of the Governor's media session in a counting station

Transcript of the Governor the Rt Hon Christopher Patten's media session after visiting a counting station in Wan Chai:

Governor: First of all, I'd like to congratulate Justice Woo and the Boundary and Election Commission for organising once again a successful day for Hong Kong. I'd like also to thank all those returning officers and every one else who has helped with the arrangements for today's polling of the Municipal Council Elections. As you know, the overall result, I'm not talking about who wins which contest, but the overall result for Hong Kong is a good one. We've seen a higher turnout than the last Municipal Council Elections. Perhaps, more significant since we now have a record voter registration, a higher turnout has meant a very much larger number of people who have voted. Altogether about 168,000 more people have voted in these Municipal Council Elections than in the last one in 1991. That's an increase of over 40 per cent. It's also interesting that in the two District Board By-elections today, the turnout was actually higher than it was in the District Board Elections last autumn. So, I think that's an indication of the continuing interest of the people of Hong Kong in civic issues, in helping to put their stamp on the way Hong Kong is run and helping to affect the way day to day issues are dealt with. There were a couple of unfortunate incidents, I understand, involving scuffles around polling stations. Obviously those are matters for the Police and all of us regret that they have happened. But I think it's important to keep this sort of things in context and if you compare what had happened in some other communities where they held elections in the very peaceful way, an orderly way in which by and large we conducted our elections in Hong Kong. I think that does give you a further piece of evidence that these elections are part of Hong Kong' stability and demonstrates how mature and moderate people of Hong Kong are.

Question: There are two cases of scuffles, could you see it as rivalry between pro- Beijing faction and pro-democracy?

Governor: I don't want to comment on individual parties or disagreement that individual parties have. But by and large, however strong the feelings of individual parties and individual candidates, the argument has been kept within the bounds of civilised debate. That is something which has been a hallmark of political development here in Hong Kong. I repeat that one should perhaps compare what happens here with what happens in some other communities. I think you then realise that we don't have too much to worry about.

Question: Do you think the scuffles will.. to China and suggest that more direct elections can create chaos?