OF HONG KONG WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETAIN ITS FULL AUTHORITY UNLESS IT REMAINS RESPONSIVE TO THE EVOLUTION OF OPINION IN HONG KONG, ON CONSTITUTIONAL AS WELL AS OTHER ISSUES.
6. TAKING EACH ELEMENT OF GOVERNMENT IN TURN (THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE/ THE EXECUTIVE/THE LEGISLATURE) THE FOLLOWING ISSUES WILL ARISE IN ACHIEVING CONVERGENCE.
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
7. THE GOVERNOR AND SENIOR OFFICIALS ARE AT PRESENT APPOINTED BY HMG. ACCORDING TO ANNEX TO THE JOINT DECLARATION THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE MUST BE SELECTED BY ELECTION OR CONSULTATIONS HELD LOCALLY AND BE APPOINTED BY THE CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT''. THERE IS A NUMBER OF POSSIBLE METHODS OF ACHIEVING THIS, INCLUDING:
(A) BY CONTESTED DIRECT ELECTION AMONG ALL QUALIFIED CANDIDATES ON THE BASIS OF UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE.
(B) BY ELECTION AMONG MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE, IF NECESSARY AFTER CONSULTATION AMONG THEM, ON A SHORT LIST OF ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES FROM WITHIN OR OUTSIDE THE LEGISLATURE.
(C) BY CONSULTATION, FOLLOWED IF NECESSRY BY ELECTION, BY SOME OTHER ELECTORAL COLLEGE TO PROVIDE A WIDER BASIS OF THE ELECTION (REFERRED TO BELOW AS THE CONSULTATIVE COLLEGE). THERE IS A NUMBER OF POSSIBLE METHODS OF ACHIEVING SELECTION ON THIS BASIS. INCLUDING A COLLEGE COMPOSED OF CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATURE, FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVES OF BODIES NOW FORMING THE CONSULTATIVE COLLEGES FOR THE ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES IN THE EXISTING LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, REPRESENTATHNES OF OTHER TERRITORY-WIDE BODIES COMPOSED OF LOCAL UNHABITANTS AS DEFINED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, INCLUDING ALL ORGANISATIONS OF STANDING IN THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS THE CHAIRMEN OF TUNG WAH, PO LEUNG KUK, HEUNG YEE KUK, THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, THE HONG KONG SHIPPERS ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.
8. A SINGLE CONTESTED ELECTION (OPTION (A) ABOVE) WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO FIND FAVOUR IN HONG KONG, AT ITS PRESENT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT: IT WOULD BE REGARDED AS A MAJOR AND FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE AND AS TOO LIKELY TO LEAD TO HIGHLY CHARGED ADVERSARIAL POLITICS AND THUS INSTABILITY.
9. AN ELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE BY MAJORITY VOTE AMONG MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE (OPTION (B) ABOVE) WOULD BE AN EASILY UNDERSTOOD METHOD OF PRODUCENIC A ruire