ORIGINS OF THE CONCEPT Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1) 5. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A 'GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE** (GEC) EMERGED INITIALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW. REFERENCE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY MADE IN THE TWO SETS OF PAPERS HANDED OVER BY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE TO FOREIGN MINISTER WU XUEQIAN IN MAY AND OCTOBER 1986, TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT SUCH A BODY MIGHT BE AN APPROPRIATE MEANS OF ELECTING THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
(PAPER 11 OF MAY 1986) AND OF VALIDATING THE MEMBERSHIP IN THE SAR LEGISLATURE OF THE FUTURE EQUIVALENTS OF THE PRESENT GROUPS OF OFFICIAL AND APPOINTED MENFERS (NOTE 2 OF OCTOBER 1996)..:.
THE IDEA THAT A PROPORTION
OF THE LEGISLATURE MIGHT BE ELECTED BY A GEC HAS BEEN PUT FORWARD IN THE GREEN PAPER: **THE 1987 REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT** AS A MATTER FOR DISCUSSION FOR THE
LONGER TERM.
PRESENT POSITION
7. IF THE CONCEPT OF A GEC WITH IMPORTANT CONSTITUTIONAL FUNCTIONS IS TO FIND ACCEPTANCE, IT WILL CLEARLY BE NECESSARY TO ENSURE :
(A) THAT THE GEC IS SEEN TO BE BROADLY REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL SIGNIFICANT SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY SEMICOLON
(B) THAT THE PERSONS IT ELECTS TO BE THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND TO BE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE ARE GENERALLY REGARDED A SUITABLE, AND THAT THE ELECTIONS ARE SEEN TO BE BASED ON GENUINE AND IMPARTIAL CONSIDERATION OF THE MERITS OF COMPETING CANDIDATES SEMICOLON AND
(C) THAT ITS OPERATING PROCEDURES ARE OPEN TO PUBLIC SCRUTINY AS
FAR AS POSSIBLE.
COMPOSITION
8. AS REGARDS PARAGRAPH 7(A), IT WOULD ENHANCE THE CREDIBILITY OF THE GEC IF INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS WERE CHOSEN BY SOME FORM OF ELECTIVE PROCESS FROM THE SECTORS OR ORGANIZATIONS WHICH THEY REPRESENTED. IT WOULD ALSO SEEM DESIRABLE FOR THE GEC TO INCLUDE MEMBERS CHOSEN ON A GEOGRAPHICAL AS WELL AS FUNCTIONAL BASIS OF REPRESENTATION. DEPENDING ON WHAT OTHER FORMS OF ELECTION WERE ADOPTED FOR CONSTITUTING THE SAR LEGISLATURE, CARE WOULD BE REQUIRED IN DETERMINING THE COMPOSITION OF THE GEC SO AS TO ENSURE THAT SECTORS OR ORGANIZATIONS WHICH CONSTITUTE FUNCTIONAL OR GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES IN THEIR OWN RIGHT DID NOT ENJOY UNDUE INFLUENCE IN THE GEC.
Secret
1a.
Page 75Page 76
9.