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17. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SOME RENEWED DEMANDS FOR THE
INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,
ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN GENERAL ACCEPTANCE THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS
SHOULD NOT BE INTRODUCED IMMEDIATELY. I SHOULD MAKE IT QUITE
CLEAR THAT, ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CONSIDER THAT IT WOULD BE EITHER TIMELY OR WISE TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS
JUST NOW, IT DOES NOT OBJECT TO THEM IN PRINCIPLE. THE TIME FOR THEM MAY COME, BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL NOT TO PUT AT RISK THE HARMONY
AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG BY INTRODUCING TOO MANY MAJOR
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS TOO RAPIDLY, NOR TO OVERLOAD THE SYSTEM
WITH TOO MANY CHANGES SIMULTANEOUSLY.
CONSULTATIONS WITH ORGANISATIONS
18. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNDERTAKING GIVEN IN THE WHITE
PAPER, A SERIES OF MEETINGS HAS BEEN HELD DURING THE PAST MONTH
OR SO WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE ORGANISATIONS ON WHICH THE
FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WILL BE BASED, IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN
THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE LEGISLATION AND THE PROCEDURES WHICH WILL
BE INTRODUCED FOR CONDUCTING THE ELECTIONS IN SEPTEMBER NEXT.
VARIOUS POINTS HAVE BEEN RAISED BY THESE ORGANISATIONS WHICH WILL
BE GIVEN CAREFUL CONSIDERATION.
LEGISLATION
19. AS STATED IN THE WHITE PAPER, THE ELECTORAL LEGISLATION IS
BEING DRAFTED, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, ALONG THE LINES OF THE EXISTING ELECTORAL PROVISIONS ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS PROVED TO BE GENERALLY
ADEQUATE FOR THE CONDUCT OF DISTRICT BOARD AND URBAN COUNCIL
ELECTIONS. THE LEGISLATION NOW BEING DRAFTED WILL COVER SUCH MATTERS
AS THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A VOTER, THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A CANDIDATE, THE METHODS BY WHICH THE ELECTORAL ROLLS FOR THE VARIOUS
CONSTITUENCIES WILL BE DRAWN UP AND THE PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING
THE ELECTIONS. IT WILL ALSO LAY DOWN THE DETAILED COMPOSITION OF
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.
20. THE ELECTIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, IN
SIMILAR FASHION TO THAT IN WHICH THE DISTRICT BOARD AND URBAN
COUNCIL ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED ALREADY: AND, OF COURSE, VOTING
WILL BE BY SECRET BALLOT.
5
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/CONCLUSION
"