TNAG-1413-FCO40-1889-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-report-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 178

(a)

District Boards

16.

CONFIDENTIAL

While a representative

system of locally elected elders and

councils serving the indigenous population of the New Territories, under the umbrella of the Heung Yee Kuk, had existed for many years,

to late 1970s, sought

the Hong Kong Government,

more

broadly based

district

government period

level,

and

in the

in

introduce

at government

the

the

trial

in

participation popular

to fill the gap

in consultation between

Following a the residents of the New Towns.

with District Advisory Boards in the 8 administrative districts in the New Territories, and City District Committees

the 10 urban districts, District Boards in the New Territories became statutory bodies in April 1982. Urban District Boards became

statutory six months later.

The Boards' membership comprised

members elected by constituencies,

members, appointed unofficial government officials and either Urban Councillors or chairmen of New Territories rural committees. They had mainly an advisory role, with some responsibility for the management of district affairs.

Hong Kong

17.

In

1984 the

of

Government

announced

that

the

representative status of the District Boards was to be strengthened by increasing the size of the elected element. Elections in March 1985 returned 237 elected members, an increase of 105 from 132.

There are

369

in unofficial members

19 District Boards; each Board elects its own Chairman; and there are no longer any official

members.

now

At the beginning of 1985 the electoral roll carried over

names,

representing

49% of

an

estimated

total

1.4

18.

million

potential

electorate of 2.9 million. Of those registered, over 995,000 were

in the urban resident

Council election s and at

areas

and

District

constituencies;

and

entitled to vote

thus entitled to vote at Urban

Board elections for urban

426,000 over

in the New Territories we re resident

in the New Board District at

elections

area

Territories and at elections for the new Regional Council to be held

in March 1986.

- 6 -

CONFIDENTIAL