The
Green Paper: A Pattern of District Administration in Hong Kong was published on 6 June 1980 for public consultations on reforming local administration in Hong Kong. The Green Paper recommended that:
District Boards (區議會) be established in each district with some members of District Boards be returned by elections. Upon the conclusion of public consultations, the
White Paper: District Administration in Hong Kong in Hong Kong was published in January 1981 affirming the Government's commitment to establish District Boards in each district by March 1982. District Boards in
New Territories were to be established by reconstituting existing District Consultation Committees. The Government subsequently enacted the District Board Ordinance (Cap. 366) to provide for the formation of District Boards: • to be composed of elected members, appointed or elected members of the Urban Council or chairmen of Rural Committees, appointed unofficial members and main official members of corresponding District Management Committees; • to be formed by around 25-30 members, with an unofficial majority; • to be initially chaired by officials, but chairmen to be elected among members as soon as possible; and • with 1-2 members per constituency, elected through
first-past-the-post voting or
single non-transferable vote. The
first elections for District Boards on
Hong Kong Island and in
Kowloon were held on 4 March 1982, while
elections for District Boards in the
New Territories were held on 23 September 1982. == Electoral System ==