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The following is the transcript of the media session by the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Mr Michael Suen, after touring the Central Counting Station for the Legislative Council Election Committee Subsector Election on April 2, 1998:

Mr Suen : During today, after fifteen hours of voting, a total of 32,399* people took part in the election. That represents an election turnout rate of 23.2 per cent. Amongst the 34 subsectors, 24 have a turnout rate of more than 35 per cent. Of the remaining 10, there are four* where the turnout rate is less than 20 per cent. But for these imperfection, we are very satisfied with the election results today. As we have seen, the order of the election is very orderly, and the whole process is open, fair and transparent. I think as I have just said we are satisfied with the overall result achieved. With the completion of today's election, we have entered a new phrase in our preparation for the election of the Legislative Council on May 24. From now on, we will concentrate on promoting the May election.

Reporter: Will turnout rate be better if the election was held on Sunday?

Mr Suen: Well, I think various people will have various ideas about whether there will be a better turnout rate if we have held it on a Sunday. But from our point of view, election of this kind whereby you are encountering those people who are professionals, our experience in the past had been that the turnout rate would probably have been higher if we had held it on a weekday. We don't believe that by holding it on a weekend or public holiday would have helped us much.

* : The final voter turnout is 32,630, or 23.38 per cent, and that there are three subsectors where the turnout rate is less than 20 per cent, instead of four.

End/Friday, April 3, 1998

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Transcript of Secretary for Constitutional Affairs (Chinese part)