NUMBER. AN INCREASE BY TWO TO FOUR MEMBERS WOULD PROBABLY BE WELCOMED, TO RECOGNISE FOR EXAMPLE THE IMPORTANCE OF TERTIARY EDUCATION, THE ACCOUNTING PROFESSION AND THE BUILDING AND PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONS.
14. NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED OFFICIAL MEMBERS AT PRESENT NUMBER TEN. THEY ARE NECESSARY FOR THE CONDUCT OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS AND THERE IS A GENERAL BELIEF IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT OF THEM TO HANDLE BILLS AND REPLY TO QUESTIONS ON ALL ASPECTS OF ADMINISTRATION. THE ADDITION OF UP TO FOUR MEMBERS COULD BE JUSTIFIED TO PROVIDE WIDER COVERAGE OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS AND WOULD PROBABLY BE ACCEPTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE MAJORITY OF PUBLIC OPINION.
15. NEXT THREE WORDS UNDERLINED THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IS DESCRIBED HN PARAS 7-10 OF THE WHITE PAPER. IT PROVIDES AT PRESENT TEN MEMBERS ELECTED BY DISTRICT BOARD GROUPINGS, AND ONE EACH SELECTED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL AND REGIONAL COUNCIL.
16. THE URBAN COUNCIL AND REGIONAL COUNCIL ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO HAVING THEIR TWO ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, PROVIDING A USEFUL AND NECESSARY ADMINISTRATIVE AND POLITICAL LINK. DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS CONSIDER THEIR INDIRECT REPRESENTATION ON LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WHA THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, OF SOME IMPORTANCE.
17. NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED APPOINTED MEMBERS: THIS ELEMENT N THE COUNCIL CONTINUES TO ENJOY SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC SUPPORT. IT IS NOT EXPECTED THAT ANYONE WOULD ADVOCATE ABOLITION OF SEATS ALLOCATED TO APPOINTED MEMBERS AT THIS STAGE, BUT SOME REDUCTION MAY BE SUGGESTED. THEY ARE ACCEPTED AS A VERY USEFUL METHOD OF BALANCING THE REPRESENTATION OF COMMUNITY INTERESTS IN THE COUNCIL AND INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT AND COMPETENT PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT NORMALLY STAND FOR ELECTION.
18. NEXT THREE WORDS UNDERLINED DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS: T SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF ABOUT EIGHT TO TEN DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS WOULD MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF THOSE IN HONG KONG WHO FAVOUR DIRECT ELECTIONS. TO ADD TEN DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS TO THE PRESENT COUNCIL, AS WELL AS SAY FOUR MORE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY MEMBERS AND FOUR MORE OFFICIAL MEMBERS, WOULD PRODUCE A COUNCIL OF SEVENTY-FOUR. THIS MIGHT BE CRITICISED AS OVER LARGE. IT WOULD PRODUCE A BALANCE MORE STRONGLY IN FAVOUR OF DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS FROM DISTRICT AND REGIONAL CONSTITUENCIES (COMPARED WITH FUNCTIONAL, APPOINTED AND OFFICIAL MEMBERS). THE BALANCE WOULD BE TIPPED EVEN MORE STRONGLY IN FAVOUR OF ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED MEMBERS WERE TO BE REDUCED.
19. SOME CRITICISM HAS BEEN VOICED THAT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE S TOO NARROWLY BASED FOR PRODUCING MEMBERS OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
T HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT IF DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS ARE INTRODUCED, DISTRICT BOARD ELECTORAL COLLEGE MEMBERS SHOULD MAKE
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