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Hecieds seek mujority in t
ELECTED MAN FOR LEGGO?
LL 10 of Hongkong's elected Urban Councillors have sent a letter to the Government asking for an important change to the White Paper on Urban
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Council reform.
They want 12 elected members on the "new" Council and only 10 appointed members, as against the 12-12 ratio set out in the White Paper.
The move by the elected mem- bers comes amid reports that the Government is considering a high- ly significant step ""promotion" of an elected member of the Urban Council to the Legislative Council.
Though appointed members of Urbco have been raised to Legco in the past, this would be the first time an elected member was placed on Hongkong's main legislative body.
Speculation on who might get this plum posting follows the Govern ment decision, announced in last Friday's Gazette, to limit to six months the appointments of Legis- lative Councillors.
ليد الكه
Reports say this could mean sign- ificant changes in the Legislati
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Council with the elevation of one of our most senior elected Urban Councillors.
The choice would probably lie from among the senior elected members, Mr Brook Bernacchi, QC, the second sealor elected member, Mr Hilton Cheong-leen, and Mrs Elsie Elliott,
Elsie out
Because Mrs Elliott is such an outspoken critic of the Government she appears to be ruled out, spec- ially since Mr Bernacchi and Mr Cheong-leen are both leaders of Hongkong's two biggest Parties, the Reform Club and the Civic
Association.
Mr Cheong-leen has recently come into the public eye with his award of an OBE in the New Year Honours List, which puts him on the same plane as Mr Bernacchi, also an OBE.
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ELECTED MAN FOR LESCO
Any decision on elevating an elected Urban Comcillor to the Legislative Council would have to be made at the highest level, because it would be the first ap- pearance of politics” in that body.
Meanwhile, Urban Comcillors are now waiting for the Corem- mear's reply their request for
■ 12-13 majority over appointed members.
Cze reasoz dey want the change
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is that it would break the likely stalemate in choosing a Chairman from 12 appointed and 12 elected
members.
But the Government realises i it grants the elected members' wishes, the Chairman would almost certainly be an elected member and that, too, might be consider- ed too "political” at this sage for Horge
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