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4. THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES REFERRED TO IN PARA 3(A)(11) AND-3(E) (11) WILL BE BASED ON PEOPLE'S COMMON INTERESTS AND OCCUPATIONS, SUCH AS COMMERCE, INDUSTRY, LAW, MEDICINE,
FINANCE, EDUCATION, TRADE UNIONS, ETC.. THESE INTERESTS ARE ALREADY REPRESENTED INFORMALLY BY VARIOUS APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND IT IS INTENDED TO DEVELOP THIS INFORMAL SYSTEM INTO A MORE FORMAL REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM BY THE INTRODUCTION OF APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ELECTION BY EACH OF THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES OF ONE OR MORE REPRESENTATIVES TO SERVE ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. FOR EXAMPLE, THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION MIGHT BE ELECTED JOINTLY BY THE MEMBERS
OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE LAW SOCIETY. THE MAIN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS MIGHT ELECT THE REPRESENTATIVES
OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.
5. A PERIOD OF TWO MONTHS WILL BE ALLOWED FOR PUBLIC CONSIDERATION AND COMMENT. THE FURTHER ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL THEN BE SOUGHT, WITH A VIEW TO THE PUBLICATION OF A WHITE PAPER SETTING OUT THE GOVERNMENT'S DEFINITIVE PLANS LATER IN THE YEAR.
LINE TO TAKE
6. IT SHOULD BE EMPHASISED THAT
(A) THESE PROPOSALS REPRESENT A FURTHER STAGE IN THE CONTINUING
PROCESS OF DEVELOPING REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG WHICH BEGAN IN 1980 WITH THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN PAPER ON 'A PATTERN OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG. THAT LED TO THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS ON A VERY BROAD FRANCHISE TO THE NEW DISTRICT BOARDS IN 1982 AND TO THE RE-CONSTITUTED URBAN COUNCIL IN 1983. MORE RECENTLY PLANS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS IN 1985, AND TO ESTABLISH A NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL, WITH A SUBSTANTIAL ELECTED ELEMENT IN ITS MEMBERSHIP, IN 1936, TO COVER THOSE AREAS OF THE TERRITORY NOT ALREADY COVERED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL:
(B) THESE PROPOSALS COVER THE PERIOD FROM 1985 TO 1988 IN THE CASE
OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND TO 1991 IN THE CASE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. FURTHER CHANGES MAY TAKE PLACE AFTER A REVIEW OF THE POSITION WITH REGARD TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1989:
(C) INDIRECT ELECTIONS ARE PROPOSED AT THIS STAGE, RATHER THAN
DIRECT ELECTIONS, BECAUSE OF THE ESSENTIAL NEED TO PRESERVE STABILITY AND HARMONY IN THE COMMUNITY AT THIS CRUCIAL TIME. ALTHOUGH DIRECT ELECTIONS ARE A STANDARD FEATURE OF THE GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEM IN MANY COUNTRIES, THEY HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AS A MEANS OF ENSURING STABLE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG NOW WOULD RUN THE RISK OF A SWIFT INTRODUCTION OF ADVERSARIAL POLITICS AND AN ELEMENT OF INSTABILITY. ALSO, PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAVE VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, EVEN AT THE DISTRICT AND REGIONAL LEVEL. IT WILL TAKE TIME FOR THEM TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE PROPOSED NEW SYSTEM OF INDIRECT ELECTIONS.
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Secret
1 IT IS