10
'Preliminary opinion' in response to the 'proposal'
In response to the 'proposal' by the 57 members from the
industrial, commercial and professional sectors, 19 BLCC members mainly from pressure groups also put forward a paper containing their
'preliminary opinion' on the future political system. In this
paper it is stressed that there must be direct election for the
legislature. Initially, the number of members returned by direct
election and election by functional constituencies
should be about equal
(preferably half each). Changes will be made following developments in society (the greater the number of seats returned by direct election, the better). The chief
executive is to be elected either by the legislature or by
universal suffrage after being nominated by the legislature.
Apart from controlling the choice of the chief executive, the
legislature, it is stressed, should also form a committee with
considerable powers to monitor the government departments. The
executive is accountable to the legislature. No explanation is
given for the term "accountability". Perhaps it means the legislature has the power of impeachment and overthrowing the Cabinet.
BLCC member Man Sai Cheong, who topped the list of joint
signatures, once indicated that the chief executive can either be
elected by the legislature or electoral college so as to be flexible.
However, less than a month later, he advocated that the legislature
should be the centre of power. There must be an inside story to it
in view of this change in one month. Both papers containing the
'preliminary opinion' and the 'proposal' were introduced almost at
the same time. Have the writers exchanged opinion? The structures
of the two bear certain similarities. Both advocate an efficient government, the preservation of election by the functional constituencies, the introduction of a committee system and the weakening of the power
of the chief executive.
However, the wording in the paper containing