(B) THE GOVERNOR: THE GENERAL POSITION OF THE GOVERNOR.
(PARA 46(K))
5. THE 1984 WHITE PAPER DEALT WITH GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL N HONG KONG. A NUMBER OF OTHER MATTERS ARE LIKELY TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 1987 REVIEW, EITHER FOR ORGANISATIONAL REASONS, OR BECAUSE THEY ARE ALREADY BEING PUBLICLY DISCUSSED SEMITOLON FOR EXAMPLE:
(A) {IMPROVING THE LINKS BETWEEN THE URBAN COUNCIL AND URBAN
DISTRICT BOARDS SEMICOLON THAT IS, WHETHER DB REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD BE ELECTED TO THE COUNCIL RATHER THAN COUNCIL MEMBERS
BE ALLOCATED TO THE BOARDS (IN THE REGIONAL COUNCIL THE FORMER
METHOD ALREADY APPLIES) SEMICOLON
(B) THE POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF DISTRICT BOARDS SEMICOLON
(C) THE TIMING OF DISTRICT BOARD, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND URBAN
COUNCIL/REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS, WHICH AT PRESENT TAKE PLACE
IN THAT ORDER WITHIN A SPACE OF TWELVE MONTHS, AND ARE DUE
AGAIN BETWEEN MARCH 1988 AND MARCH 1989 SEMICOLON
(D) THE REDUCTION OF THE VOTING AGE FROM TWENTY-ONE TO EIGHTEEN
YEARS.
ASSESSMENT OF PRESENT OPINION
THE GOVERNOR
1524 115877
6. IT WAS STATED IN THE/WHITE PAPER THAT THE GOVERNOR WILL CONTINUE TO BE APPOINTED FORMALLY BY THE QUEEN UNTIL 1997 AND THERE WAS STRONG PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THIS ANY PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE
IN THE POSITION AND ROLE OF THE GOVERNOR WOULD NEED TO TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATHON AND IT WAS STATED
THAT THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES WOULD BE CONSIDERED AT A LATER STAGE.
THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE COMMENT IN HONG KONG ON THE POSITION OF
THE GOVERNOR IN GENERAL, EXCEPT AS PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND HIS POSITION IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE RAISED EXCEPT
IN THAT CONTEXT.
THE GOVERNOR AS PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
7. IT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED (N THE GREEN PAPER OF JULY 1984) THAT
THE GOVERNOR SHOULD BE REPLACED, IN DUE COURSE, BY A PRESIDING
OFFICER ELECTED BY THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL FROM AMONG THEIR OWN NUMBER. SUCH A CHANGE COULD BE
INTRODUCED PROGRESSIVELY IN TWO STAGES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRST PRESIDING OFFICER MIGHT BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AFTER
CONSULTATION WITH THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL, BUT THEREAFTER THE PRESIDING OFFICER MIGHT BE ELECTED BY
THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EVERY 3 YEARS. N THE WHITE
PAPER HIT WAS NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE PROPOSAL TO REPLACE THE
GOVERNOR AS PRESIDING OFFICER WAS, ON THE WHOLE, REASONABLY WELL
RECEN VED THE GENERAL VIEW WAS IN FAVOUR OF MAKING NO SIGNIFICANT
CHANGE IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
Secret
12
Saint That