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electoral system. The possibilities under consideration have been:-
(a) The enlargement of the unofficial element in the
legislature. The 1964 increase in membership gave
Unofficials a majority (though not control because of the
Governor's original and casting votes). If official
control is to be maintained, any further increase is
limited by the possibilities for pari passu increase in the
official membership.
(b) Broadening the basis of selection of unofficial members
(and in doing so to dispense with the "closed" seats for
representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Justices of
the Peace). In recent selections the Governor has cast
his not a little wider and has recently appointed a woman
to the Legislative Council for the first time. It is
inherent in the nomination system that the Governor should
make appointments from people who have made their mark in the
these are people from industry, commerce and
community;
the professions.
If he were to appoint comparative nonentities
in the affairs of the community, the process of selection
would have a random and arbitrary nature that would satisfy
no one. It is clear that the Trade Unions do not form a
suitable field from which representatives could be drawn for
reasons which are set out in Background Notes No. 12. Moreover,
service on the Hong Kong Councils takes a great deal of time
and is unpaid. The possibility of making nominations from
certain representative organisations (e.g. the Kaifong
Associations* and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries)
/has
* These are unofficial neighbourhood associations
practising self-help and local Community development.
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