4
AND UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL COMMENTED
ON THE PROPOSALS DURING THE DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATE IVE
COUNCIL ON 2 AUGUST 1934.
4. PUBLIC REACTION WAS GENERALLY IN FAVOUR OF THE AIMS OF THE GREEN PAPER AND THE GRADUAL AND PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE PROPOSALS MADE
IN IT. THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY
OF HONG KONG ARE NOT PUT AT RISK BY INTRODUCING TOO MANY
CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES TOO RAPIDLY WAS WIDELY RECOGNISED.
MANY PEOPLE SUPPORTED THE PROPOSALS AS BEING A REALISTIC AND PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
THE WHITE PAPER
5. THE PURPOSE OF THIS WHITE PAPER IS TO SET OUT IN THE LIGHT OF
PUBLIC REACTION THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS FOR 1985 WITH REGARD
TO THE NEXT STATE OF DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL. THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER VERED THE PERIOD TO 1991, THE REVISED PLANS FOR 198S DESCRIBED IN THIS WHITE PAPER INCLUDE SEVERAL OF THE ORIGINAL PROPOSALS CONCERNING THE COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATIVE
IN PREPARING THE WHITE PAPER THE GOVERNMENT HAS
5.
RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THE PROVISIONS OF THE
DRAFT AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, WHICH ALLOW
SCORE FOR THE PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG ́S
GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEM, AND THE PLANS HAVE BEEN FRAMED
ACCORDINGLY.
CHAPTER 11
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
COUNUL IN 1988.
7. IT WAS PROPOSED IN THE GREEN PAPER THAT :
(A) THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE SHOULD BE COMPOSED OF ALL THE ELECTED
AND, TO START WITH, ALL THE APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE URBAN
COUNCIL, THE NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS:
(B) IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO ELECT ANYONE WHO IS A REGISTERED
ELECTOR ON THE GENERAL ELECTORAL ROLL AND WHO HAS BEEN
ORDINARILY RESIDENT IN HONG KONG FOR A MINIMUM OF 10 YEARS, NOT NECESSARILY FROM AMONG ITS OWN MEMBERS: AND
(C) THAT THESE ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BE INTRODUCED PROGRESSIVELY,
WITH 6 UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS BEING ELECTED IN 1985 AND 12 IN
1983.
8. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH COMMENT ON THESE PROPOSALS. ONE SUGGESTION
WAS FOR A SINGLE LIST OF CANDIDATES. ANOTHER WAS FOR ARRANGEMENTS
TO BE MADE WHICH WOULD ENSURE A REASONABLY BALANCED GEOGRAPHICAL
DISTRIBUTION OF MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE COLLEGE. THIS
MIGHT BE ACHIEVED BY DIVIDING THE MEMBERS OF THE COLLEGE INTO
GROUPS OF DISTRICTS, EACH OF WHICH WOULD ELECT ONE MEMBER, WITH
THE URBAN COUNCIL AND REGIONAL COUNCIL FORMING SEPARATE CON-
STITUENCIES TO ELECT ONE MEMBER EACH.
9. THE GOVERNMENT AGREES THAT THERE SHOULD BE A REASONABLY
BALANCED GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. IN CONSEQUENCE, IN 1985
THE DISTRICT 30ARD MEMBERS OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WILL BE
-2
CONFIDENTIAL
/GROUPED