TNAG-2736-FCO40-3944-Hong-Kong-role-of-the-Legislative-Council-(LEGCO)-1994 — Page 33

16-DEC-1993

13:13

CONST AFFAIRS BRANCH

4.

the

+ 852 840 1528

P.03/05

Secondly, the Bill

provides

for the lowering of

voting

age

for

all

elections

from 21

to 18 years

starting from the 1994 District Board elections.

China.

Again

there is broad community support for lowering the

voting age to 18, which is the voting age in many countries

and including Britain

the Lowering

voting age

years will broaden the potential electorate

million to 3.9 million. Every effort would be

made by the Government to encourage potential voters

to register themselves on the General Electoral Roll.

to 18

from 3.7

5.

Thirdly, the Bill provides for the abolition of

appointed seats in both the District Boards and Municipal

Councils as from the next round of elections. This will be

logical step in the gradual evolution of the Municipaï

Councils and the District Boards over many years. The

appointed seats in these bodies have stayed at about

one-third of their membership since the latter half of the

eighties. As the Legislative Council will become fully

elected in 1995,

it will be the appropriate time for the

Municipal Councils and District Boards to become fully

elected bodies as well. With a fully elected membership,

they will be able to reflect better the views of the

community which they serve.

6.

Fourthly,

appointed seats

representativeness of the Urban

consequential

to the

abolition of the

and

to

further

enhance

the

Council and the Regional

Council,

the

Bill provides

for the

number

of

directly-elected seats in these

bodies to

be increased