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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

Links Between the Representative Institutions

The Urban Council and the Regional Council are closely linked to the district boards. Each district board in the urban area has a representative member on the Urban Council. In addition to a similar arrangement between the Regional Council and the district boards in the New Territories, members of the latter are also included in the district committees under the Regional Council. Through these channels, the district boards are consulted on a wide range of council matters affecting their areas.

New Territories district boards maintain a close relationship with the Heung Yee Kuk (a statutory advisory body which represents the indigenous population of the New Ter- ritories). Seats are reserved on the district boards for rural committee chairmen who are also ex-officio members of the Heung Yee Kuk's executive committee.

The Regional Council also has a formal link with the Heung Yee Kuk, through the ex-officio membership of the chairman and the two vice-chairmen on the council. Moreover, three of its appointed members have also been chosen from members of the Heung Yee Kuk to ensure a strong relationship with the traditional inhabitants of the New Territories.

The Urban Council and Regional Council, which cover much the same fields in their respective areas, have, during the year, held liaison meetings and have also instituted joint ventures. In particular the Keep Hong Kong Clean Committee now encompasses both councils. The annual Flower Show is also a responsibility of both councils and is held in each council's area in alternate years.

At present the district boards are grouped into 10 electoral college constituencies, each returning one member to the Legislative Council. The Urban Council and Regional Council separately form electoral college constituencies, also returning one member each to the Legislative Council.

Starting from the 1991-2 Legislative Council session, the two municipal councils will become functional constituencies, each returning one member to the Legislative Council, while the 10 electoral college constituencies at the district level will be replaced by nine geographical constituencies, each of which will return two members to the Legislative Council through direct elections.

Electoral System for the Urban Council, Regional Council and District Boards Elections to the Urban Council, Regional Council and district boards are on a geo- graphical constituency basis and through a broad franchise. Practically everyone who is 21 years of age or over and who is a Hong Kong permanent resident, or has been resident in Hong Kong for the preceding seven years, is eligible to apply for registration as an elector in the constituency in which he lives. Registration is conducted on a voluntary basis annually in August and September although applications for registration can be made at any time of the year.

A major registration exercise was conducted in 1990 resulting in the addition of 257 876 new electors to the electoral roll. At the end of year, the electoral roll carried 1 855 443 names, representing 50.2 per cent of an estimated total potential electorate of 3.69 million. Of these electors, 1 124 292 are entitled to vote at the Urban Council elections and also at the district board elections in the Urban Council area. The remaining 731 151 are entitled to vote at Regional Council elections and at the district board elections in the Regional Council area.

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