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recent years in order to provide opportunities for the views of a wider
cross section of the Community to be represented.
The possibility of
further changes is however limited by the need to maintain official
control. It is also inherent in the nomination system that the
Governor should make appointments from people who have made their
mark in the community and in this respect the field of Selection in
Hong Kong is limited in practice to Commerce, Industry, and the
Professions.
The trade union movement in Hong Kong has no 'personalities'
and is split by its allegiancies to Communist or Nationalist China.
The introduction of even a small number of elected members to the
Councils is not considered to be a possible course. The elections would
import the politics of the two Chinas to Hong Kong and, once one principle
of elected membership is conceded, it would be virtually impossible to
resist demands for an elected majority, which would be unacceptable to
the C.P .3. For these reasons our attention has turned to local
government as offering the most promising field in which local
participation in the government of the colony might be developed
(see section C).
1.
C. LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Local Government arrangements have changed very little in
Hong Kong since the War. There is an Urban Council with responsibility
for basic public health services and squatter resettlement in the Urban
areas of ilong Kong and Kowloon. It consists of 5 ex-officio members
and 20 unofficial members, ten of whom are elected.
Public interest
in its affairs is low. In 1965 the decision was taken to extend the
in the event, franchise for its elections to an estimated 240,000;
however, only some 26,000 have registered as electors which is some 3,000
less than on the old register.
2.
The new Territories are administered by district officers under
a District Commissioner, with the assistance of rural committees
elected by and from village representatives. There is also a
consultative council for the whole of the New Territories (Heung Yee Kuk).
Its functions are entirely advisory.
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