10.
I have been particularly struck by one disadvantage of the proposed indirect system pointed out by some commentators. At present when we vote for District Board or Regional Council candidates, we do so generally on the basis of their suitability for the job. We know what we expect them to do. But, in future, those we vote for will become the electorate for part of the Legislative Council which in turn will produce a majority of Members of the Executive Council. Also they will themselves be potential elected members of these Councils. Yet membership of these two Councils involves obligations different in both substance and degree from membership of local Councils.
11.
I am not sure what the right answer is. But we have time between now and 1989 to reflect and learn from the experience of the changes envisaged in 1985 and 1988; and, of course, the discussion and comment that this Green Paper provokes will also greatly influence our thinking.
12.
Finally, there is the third element of the first aim of the proposals: accountability: It is fundamental that we should develop a system that is more directly accountable to the people of Hong Kong. It must lead to real changes in how we are
governed.
And if the If it does not, then it will have failed. public does not think it is likely to lead to real change, that is to say, change which they perceive as protecting their interests in the new circumstances the future will bring, then I foresee a continuation of the apathy that has characterised the public attitude to Urban Council and District Board elections in
the past.
13.
I have spoken about a so-called ministerial type system in this Council before. I believe that our longer term objective must be to link the people's elected representatives with the administration of this territory, rather than relying on officials alone to provide that link. In other words, the new