TNAG-1451-FCO40-1955-Hong-Kong-Regional-Council-Ordinance-and-elections-1986 — Page 138

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HONG KONG TELNOS 723-4: UPBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

1. WE HAVE NOW BEEN ABLE TO ANALYSE IN MORE DETAIL THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTIONS HELD ON 6 MARCH. GENERALLY, WE ARE SATISFIED WITH THE OVERALL TURNOUT RATE OF 27 PER CENT (THIS LIKE ALL OTHER FIGURES IN THIS PARAGRAPH RELATES TO CONSTITUENCIES WHERE ELECTIONS WERE CONTESTED). THE RATE OF 23.2 PER CENT FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL (UC) REPRESENTED A SMALL INCREASE OVER THE 1983 RATE (22.4 PER CENT), DESPITE A MUCH LARGER NUMBER OF REGISTERED ELECTORS (AN INCREASE FROM 868,537 IN 1983 TO 944,844 IN 1986). ALTHOUGH THE TURNOUT FOR THE DISTRICT BOARD (DB) ELECTIONS IN 1985 WAS HIGHER (37.5 PER CENT OF A SLIGHTLY SMALLER ELECTORATE), THERE WERE THEN 479 CANDIDATES AS OPPOSED TO THE 77 FOR UC AND REGIONAL COUNCIL (RC). ELECTIONS.

2. ALL BUT 4 OF THE 27 SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WERE MALE AND 59 PER CENT WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 40. 9 DESCRIBED THEMSELVES AS SOCIAL WORKERS (2 OTHERS ALSO HAD A PRESSURE GROUP BACKGROUND) AND 8 WERE FROM THE SDUCATION SECTOR. ONLY ONE BUSINESSMAN (HILTON CHEONG-LEEN) WAS RETURNED TO THE UC AND 3 (FROM THE HEUNG YEE KUK) TO THE PC.

3. THERE HAS BEEN NO EVIDENCE OF SIGNIFICANT KMT (TAIWAN) PARTICIPATION IN THE ELECTIONS. LEFTIST GROUPS, ON THE OTHER HAND, SUPPORTED 5 CANDIDATES, OF WHOM 3 WERE SUCCESSFUL.

4. A WIDE VARIETY OF QUASI-POLITICAL GROUPINGS FIELDED OR SUPPORTED CANDIDATES IN THE ELECTIONS. OF THE OLDER ESTABLISHED ORGNISATIONS, THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION SUCCEEDED IN 4 OUT OF 8 SEATS (INCLUDING 3 INCUMBENT URBAN COUNCILLORS) AND THE REFORM CLUB IN 2 (BOTH INCUMBENTS) OUT OF 5 EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR MARIA TAM'S PROGRESSIVE HONG KONG SOCIETY HAD 2 SUCCESSES (ONE INCUMBENT) OUT OF 7 AND THE HONG KONG AFFAIRS SOCIETY 2 OUT OF 5. MEETING POINT WON 2 OUT OF 4 (ONE INCUMBENT). MOST SUCCESSFUL WERE THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL ON PUBLIC HOUSING POLICY, ALL OF WHOSE 4 CANDIDATES (ONE AN INCUMBENT) WERE RETURNED, AND THE PROFESSIONAL TEACHER'S UNION, WHO DID NOT DIRECTLY FIELD CANDIDATES BUT GAVE ACTIVE SUPPORT TO 11, OF WHOM 10 WERE SUCCESSFUL. A LIST OF THESE GROUPINGS AND THE CANDIDATES THEY SUPPORTED WILL BE SENT TO THE DEPARTMENT BY BAG.

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