A bill which aims to implement the proposed addition of two elected seats on Islands District Council and three elected seats on Sai Kung District Council has been tabled to the Legislative Council today.

If approved, the number of elected seats on Islands DC and Sai Kung DC would increase to 10 and 23 from the next term.

The Constitutional Affairs Bureau said the addition of seats is to cater for the population growth in the Islands and Sai Kung districts between the last District Council election in 2003 and the coming one in 2007.

If additional seats were not provided, the population-to-seat ratio in the urban areas of Tung Chung and Tseung Kwan O would reach 37,900 and 22,600 in 2007, about 117% and 29% higher than the territory-wide average of 17,500.

According to the Electoral Affairs Commission Ordinance, the population of District Council constituency areas should not deviate from the average by more than 25%.