The 12-day 2003 Village Representative Elections ended today, with 707 candidates from 283 villages running for 360 seats.

Among the candidates, 202 were  indigenous inhabitant representatives and 158 were resident representatives.

A total of 53,248 electors cast their votes. While the overall voter turnout rate was 73.84%, those for indigenous inhabitant representatives and resident representatives were 74.61% and 72.91 respectively.

Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho said during a visit to a polling station at Yuen Long that this was a record voter turnout in the history of Hong Kong's public elections.

He said today was a "historic" moment, and the elections also represent a stepping stone in the running of village affairs. He hoped that the elected candidates will join hands to serve the villagers.

There were altogether 1,480 seats in the elections. Among them, 931 candidates were returned automatically, while 189 seats were not contested.  

Results for the Indigenous Inhabitant Representative elections in the 2003 Village Representative Elections were as follows:

* In Ping Shan, Wong Wing Sang  and Wong Lai Sum;

* In Hung Uk Tsuen, Tang Chin Pang;

* In Lam Hau Tsuen, Cheung Kam Fook and Mok Fook Nang;

* In Mong Tseng Tsuen, Cheung Kam Chiu, Tang Kwai Fong and Tang Nam Shing;

* In Shan Ha Tsuen, Cheung Hung Fan, Cheung Sui Cheung and Cheung Chi Ming;

* In Shek Po Tsuen, Lam Chen Shu and Lam Kin Shun;

* In Shing Uk Tsuen, Shing Tse Yung;

* In Shui Pin Tsuen, Wong Man Wai; and

* In Yeung Uk Tsuen, Yeung Moon Kwai and Young Ka On.