TNAG-1836-FCO40-2611-Executive-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-meet-1989 — Page 121

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024041

MDLIAN 4

DISREGARDING THE NUMBER OF REGISTEREDVOTERS WHO WERE UNABLE TO VOTE BECAUSE THE CANDIDATES IN THEIR CONSTITUENCIES WERE RETURNED UNOPPOSED, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS WHO COULD VOTE YESTERDAY WAS 1.2 MILLION. OF THESE MORE THAN 233,000 PEOPLE CAST THEIR VOTES YESTERDAY, GIVING A VOTER TURNOUT RATE OF 17.6 PERCENT (14.2 PERCENT IN THE UC AREA AND 23.2 PERCENT IN THE RC AREA). THIS COMPARED WITH THE RATE OF 26.9 PER CENT IN THE 1986 MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS AND 30.3 PER CENT IN THE 1988 DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS. IN ACTUAL NUMBER TERMS, THERE WAS A DECREASE OF NEARLY 150,000 VOTERS, OR A DROP OF 9.4 PERCENTAGE POINTS, WHEN COMPARED WITH THE LAST MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN 1986.

ARRANGEMENTS

4. AT ALL POLLING STATIONS VOTING WAS ORDERLY AND THERE WERE NO

SIGNIFICANT COMPLAINTS OR INCIDENTS.

ELECTION RESULTS

5. OF THE 27 SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES, 18 ARE INCUMBENT MEMBERS. ONLY ONE OTHER INCUMBENT MC MEMBER WHO SOUGHT RE-ELECTION FAILED TO DO SO. OF THE NINE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS SEVEN ARE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS. THE POLITICAL INCLINATION OF THESE NINE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS BY MAJOR GROUPINGS IS SEEN AS FOLLOWS -

(A) PRESSURE GROUP (4):

(B) MODERATE (3):

(C) TRADITIONAL/CONSERVATIVE (0):

(D) PRO-PRC (3); AND

(E) INDEPENDENT (0).

IT IS SIGNIFICANT TO NOTE THE ABSENCE OF ANY SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WHO ARE DESCRIBED AS BEING TRADITIONAL/CONSERVATIVE. THE PRESSURE GROUPS HAVE SUCCEEDED IN RETURNING ALMOST HALF OF THE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS DESPITE REPORTS THAT THE CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES WERE TURNING TO PRO-PRC ORGANISATIONS FOR SUPPORT.

AGE PROFILE

6.

THE NEW MEMBERS HAVE AN AVERAGE AGE OF 38. THE OVERALL AVERAGE AGE OF THE 27 ELECTED MEMBERS IS 44.

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