TNAG-1353-FCO40-1794-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 52

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HONG KONG DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.

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ELECTIONS FOR THE 19 DISTRICT 30ARDS WERE HELD ON 7 MARCH 1985. 213 SEATS IN 130 CONSTITUENCIES WERE CONTESTED BY 477 CANDIDATES. (24 CANDIDATES IN 15 CONSTITUENCIES WERE RETURNED UNOPPOSED). A TOTAL OF 476,530 PERSONS VOTED IN THE ELECTIONS, THAT IS 37.5% OF THE 1.27 MILLION REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE CONSTITUENCIES WHERE THE SEATS WERE CONTESTED. THIS IS ABOUT THE SAME PERCENTAGE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORATE AS VOTED IN THE 1982 DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS: BUT IT REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF ALMOST 134,000 IN THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF VOTERS. THIS IS A VERY SATISFACTORY RESULT, AND AND ENCOURAGING INDICATION OF SUPPORT FOR THE STEPS WE ARE TAKING TO DEVELOP PROGRESSIVELY A MORE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM OF

GOVERNMENT.

2. THE FINAL RESULTS HAVE ONLY JUST BECOME AVAILABLE, AND HAVE NOT YET BEEN ANALYSED IN DETAIL. BUT MOST OF THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES ARE FROM COMMERCE AND THE PROFESSIONS, WITH TEACHERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS ALSO REPRESENTED. THE TWO TRADITIONAL POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS, THE REFORM CLUB AND THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, ACHIEVED ONLY MODERATE SUCCESS. SEVERAL CANDIDATES SUPPORTED BY LOCAL INTEREST GROUPS WERE ELECTED. ONLY TWO LEFT-WING TRADE UNION CANDIDATES WERE SUCCESSFUL, AND NO OVERTLY KMT CANDIDATES.

3. THE FIRST DISTRCIT BOARD ELECTIONS FOR 132 SEATS IN 18 DISTRICTS WERE HELD IN 1982. SOME 342,500 PERSONS (38% OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORATE) VOTED ON THAT OCCASION. LAST YEAR, A NUMBER OF CHANGES IN THE DISTRICT BOARD SYSTEM, WERE ANNOUNCED WITH A VIEW TO DEVELOPING A MORE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: (A) THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS WERE TO BE INCREASED FROM 132 TO 237 FROM APRIL 1985:

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(B)