TNAG-1413-FCO40-1889-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-report-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 96

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TERRITORIES, UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK, HAD EXISTED

FOR MANY YEARS, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, IN THE LATE 1970S,

SOUGHT TO INTRODUCE MORE BROADLY BASED POPULAR PARTICIPATION IN

GOVERNMENT AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, PARTLY IN ORDER TO FILL THE GAP

IN CONSULTATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE

NEW TOWNS. FOLLOWING A TRIAL PERIOD WITH DISTRICT ADVISORY

BOARDS IN THE 8 ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES,

AND CITY DISTRICT COMMITTEES IN 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, APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, 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.

17. IN 1984 THE HONG KONG 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 NOW 369 UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS IN 19

DISTRICT BOARDS: EACH BOARD ELECTS ITS OWN CHAIRMAN: AND THERE

ARE NO LONGER ANY OFFICIAL MEMBERS.

18.

AT THE BEGINNING OF 1985 THE ELECTORAL ROLL CARRIED OVER 1.4

MILLION NAMES, REPRESENTING 49 PER CENT OF AN ESTIMATED TOTAL POTENTIAL ELECTORATE OF 2.9 MILLION. OF THOSE REGISTERED, OVER

995,000 WERE RESIDENT IN THE URBAN AREAS AND THUS ENTITLED TO

VOTE AT URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS AND AT DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS

FOR URBAN AREA CONSTITUENCIES: OVER 426,000 WERE RESIDENT IN THE

NEW TERRITORIES AND ENTITLED TO VOTE AT DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS

IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND AT ELECTIONS FOR THE NEW REGIONAL

COUNCIL TO BE HELD IN MARCH 1986.

(B) URBAN COUNCIL

19. THE URBAN COUNCIL, WHICH HAS HAD ELECTED MEMBERS SINCE SOON AFTER ITS INCEPTION IN THE 1880S AS THE SANITARY BOARD, HAD ITS

ELECTED MEMBERSHIP INCREASED TO 12 MEMBERS IN 1973 WHEN IT WAS

RECONSTITUTED AS A STATUTORY BODY WITH FINANCIAL AUTONOMY.

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