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:[1] On the local tier of administration: On the mid-tier Urban Council: Upon the conclusion of public consultations, the White Paper: District Administration in Hong Kong was published in January 1981, stating that the government would:[2] Proposals in the White Paper were implemented between 1982 and 1983, during which elections to the District Boards and Urban Council were held.
Before 1981, Hong Kong residents were eligible to vote in Urban Council elections only if they:[3] The electoral franchise were expanded to around 568,000 voters upon implementation of the White Paper, which marked an increase by 17 times:[4] The Bill provided for the formation of District Boards: Upon enactment of the District Board Ordinance (Cap.
366) on 17 July 1981, 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.
[5] The Bill provided for the expansion of electoral franchise and creation of constituencies to the Urban Council election on 8 March 1983: