(C) CHOICE OF ELECTION YEARS SECRET
16. IT IS (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) PROPOSED THAT DISTRICT BOARD
ELECTION YEARS SHOULD BE CHOSEN FOR ELECTORAL COLLEGE ELECTIONS
BECAUSE MOST MEMLERS OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD BE ELECTED
DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS. IF THE TARGET DATE FOR FULL DEVELOPMENT
OF THE SYSTEM WAS DEFERRED UNTIL 1992, MAJOR CHANGES IN THE
MEMBERSHIP OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL COULD TAKE PLACE IN
REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTION YEARS, I.E. 1986, 1989, 1992 (WITH A
POSSIBLE FINAL STAGE IN 1995). IN BOTH CASES, ELECTIONS COULD TAKE
PLACE IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER DEPENDING ON WHETHER APPOINTMENTS
TO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ARE TO RUN FROM 1 SEPTEMBER (AS NOW ) OR
1 OCTOBER.
17. ELECTORAL COLLEGE ELECTIONS IN REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTION YEARS WOULD BE EXACTLY MID-TERM IN THE DISTRICT BOARD CYCLE AND WOULD START IN 1986 RATHER THAN 1985. THIS WOULD GIVE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS MORE TIME TO SETTLE DOWN, BUT WOULD MEAN 18 MONTHS OF POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY EVERY THREE YEARS FOR THOSE MEMBERS OF ELGSILATIVE COUNCIL SEEKING RE-ELECTION, INSTEAD OF SIX MONTHS IF ELECTIONS TAKE PLACE IN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTION YEARS. IT IS CONSIDERED THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER, THEREFORE, TO COMPLETE THE DISTRICT BOARD AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN ONE YEAR AND THEN HAVE A PERIOD OF TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF POLITICAL CERTAINTY
BEFORE THE NEXT DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.
(D) FUNCTIONAL ASSOCIATION
18. AS REGARDS THE 10 OR 15 MEMBERS ELECTED BY FUNCTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, FURTHER DETAILED CONSIDERATION WILL NEED TO BE GIVEN TO WHICH INTERESTS SHOULD BE REPRESENTED, TO THE BALANCE OF REPRESENTATION BETWEEN THEM, AND TO THE METHOD OF ELECTION. IT WILL BE DESIRABLE TO HAVE RELATIVELY LARGE FUNCTIONAL GROUPS IN ORDER TO AVOID THE SORT OF ELECTIONEERING MALPRACTICES WHICH ARE MORE PREVALENT IN THE CASE OF CLOSELY CONTESTED ELECTIONS
AMONG SMALL GROUPS. A POSSIBLE SPREAD OF REPRESENTATION (FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES) WOULD BE
INDUSTRIALIST ORGANISATIONS
LABOUR ORGANISATIONS
322 N N
2
1
FINANCIAL SECTOR
1
LEGAL PROFESSION
1
2
ACADEMICS (INCLUDING EDUCATION)
2
2
MEDICAL PROFESSION
1
2
PROFESSIONALS NOT ELSEWHERE INCLUDED
2
2
TOTAL
10
15
THE ELECTORATE OF EACH OF THE ABOVE CONSTITUENCIES WOULD BE RELATIVELY LARGE, CONSISTING OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MEMBERS.
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1(E)