CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 849
OF 10110OZ MARCH 89
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 011/2
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO WASHINGTON INFO PRIORITY HKGO BRUSSELS, HKGO GENEVA
INFO SAVING SAN FRANSISCO
12
024041
MDLIAN 4116
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS
1. ELECTIONS TO THE URBAN COUNCIL (UC) AND THE REGIONAL COUNCIL (RC) FOR THE TERM 1 APRIL 1989 TO 31 MAY 1991 WERE HELD
YESTERDAY (9 MARCH). A TOTAL OF 53 CANDIDATES STOOD FOR ELECTION TO 15 UC SEATS AND 12 RC SEATS. SEVEN OF THEM WERE RETURNED
UNOPPOSED (FOUR TO UC AND THREE TO RC). OF THE REMAINING 26 CONTESTED 11 UC SEATS AND 20 CONTESTED 9 RC SEATS.
NUMBER OF CANDIDATES
2. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CANDIDATES (53) REPRESENTED A DECREASE COMPARED WITH 79 IN THE LAST MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN MARCH 1986. THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES RETURNED UNOPPOSED INCREASED FROM TWO TO SEVEN. THE DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES STANDING FOR ELECTION COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS. THESE ARE
(A) ORCHESTRATION OF PRESSURE GROUPS IN FIELDING THEIR CANDIDATES:
(B) SHORTER (TWO YEARS RUNNING UP TO 1991) AND THEREFORE LESS
ATTRACTIVE TERM OF OFFICE:
(C) INCREASED NUMBER OF UNOPPOSED CANDIDATES:
(D) STRONG INCUMBENTS IN CERTAIN CONSTITUENCIES: AND
(E) THE DIMINISHED ATTRACTION OF REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS
AFTER THE FIRST ROUND HELD IN 1986.
REGISTRATION OF VOTERS AND THEIR TURNOUT
3. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 3.56 MILLION PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER AS VOTERS. OF THIS NUMBER ONLY 1.6 MILLION HAVE SO REGISTERED GIVING A REGISTRATION RATE OF 45 PERCENT.
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