Purpose

This paper sets out the proposed publicity strategy to promote the first District Councils (DC) election of the HKSAR to be held on 28 November 1999.

Strategy

2. The campaign will begin in August and will last until the polling day on 28 November 1999. A series of publicity programmes will be organised and a specially designed logo will be used throughout the campaign.

Phase I (early August to end September 1999)

3. The objectives during this phase are to arouse the awareness and interest of the public towards the DC election, to build up district identity and to explain to the public the role and functions of the DC. Various publicity activities, including TV and radio APIs, posters and leaflets, roving exhibitions, interactive computer games and advertisements on the Internet will be arranged. Special radio programmes will be produced by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) to promote district identity and publicise the election day. An interactive voice enquiry hotline will be set up by the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) to handle enquiries concerning the DC election. An election enquiry hotline will also be set up by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to answer enquiries concerning the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Ordinance (CIPO). A special homepage will be created on the Government website to publicise the election.

Phase II (early October to mid-November 1999)

4. Nomination of candidates will commence in early October 1999. Canvassing activities by the candidates will commence at the same time. The publicity programmes during this period will therefore aim to familiarise the public with the candidates and the electoral and voting arrangements. We will also widely publicise the new arrangement whereby voters should vote by using a chop with a "tick".

5. A large-scale kick-off ceremony will be organised in early October to enhance the general awareness of the DC election. Special television and radio programmes, television and radio APIs with celebrities' appeal will be produced to explain the voting arrangements, to appeal to the voters to vote and to promote the spirit and importance of a clean election. A photo competition which invites pictures capturing the election activities relating to the DC election will be launched.

6. At the district level, banners and buntings will be put up at prominent locations throughout the territory, and carnivals and roving exhibitions with mock voting sessions will be organised in various districts. Briefings for candidates and their agents/helpers will be organized jointly by Home Affairs Department (HAD), REO and ICAC to explain in greater detail the electoral arrangements and to enhance their awareness of the CIPO. In addition, briefings for Area Committees/Mutual Aid Committees/Owners Corporations and building management companies will also be arranged. A series of election forums in DC constituencies will be organised to enable the public to know more about the candidates and their platform.

Phase III (mid-November to 28 November 1999)

7. This will be the climax of the publicity campaign which aim to urge all registered voters to turn out to vote on the polling day on 28 November 1999. All on-going publicity programmes will be further enhanced to heighten the atmosphere for the election. Large-scale publicity activities, including count-down events at district level will be arranged to remind the public that the polling day is drawing near. The publicity activities will further emphasise that voting is simple and easy, especially with the chop.

8. On the polling day, special publicity measures including appeals through all electronic and printed media, appeals by senior government officials and celebrities, VIP visits to polling stations, bus parades and so on will be arranged. On polling day and the day before, Temporary Community Organisers from HAD will visit shopping malls, restaurants, etc. to encourage registered voters to cast their votes. RTHK will also arrange live television broadcast on the updates of the DC election.


Constitutional Affairs Bureau
15 June 1999