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people of the territory and
i s more directly
accountable to the people of Hong Kong. The White
paper
of
further
proposed
the community for
that
constitutional
development should be based on Hong Kong's existing institutions and also allowed, subject to the wishes
further development. Publication of the White Paper was preceded by a two
month period of public consultation during which the
Government received a wide range of, mainly
favourable, comment on the aims of
the Paper. The
need to preserve the prosperity and stability of the
territory by ensuring that constitutional change
whilst progressive was also gradual, was widely recognised and the proposals were considered by many
to be a realistic and practical framework for the
development of
representative government at the
central level.
7.
The first elections to the Legislative Council
(LEGCO) take place on 26 September; they will be
indirect. 24 members, out of a new Council of 56,
will be chosen, 12 of them by an
electoral college
of District Board, Urban Council and Regional
Council (ie local government level) members and 12
by functional constituencies representing the main
professional, commercial and other groups.
The
remaining 32 members will continue
to be appointed
a result the
There has been
by the Governor. 64 candidates have been nominated
for election to the 24 seats and as
elections will be keenly contested.
considerable and encouraging interest among the Hong
Kong public and media in the elections.
8.
A review of
of progress
towards representative
this year,
Government will be carried out in 1987. In April of
Sir Y K Pao expressed, quite forcefully,
to Sir Percy Cradock the view that movement towards representative government in Hong Kong was too fast:
indicated that this was the Chinese view. We
he
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