4. AS REGARDS OPTION (B) PAPER W OF MAY 1986 CONCLUDED THAT SUCH A METHOD WOULD BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD AND WOULD CONFIRM THAT THE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE ENJOYED THE CONFIDENCE OF THE LEGISLATURE. SUCH A SYSTEM WOULD, HOWEVER, PLACE CONSIDERABLE POWER IN THE HANDS OF THE
LEGISLATURE AND MIGHT UNDULY ALTER THE BALANCE BETWEEN IT AND THE
EXECUTIVE.
5. AS REGARDS OPTION (C) PAPER HIM OF MAY 1986 POINTED OUT THAT MIT WOULD REQUIRE THE CREATION OF A NEW BODY, FOR WHICH THERE IS NO EQUIVALENT IN HONG KONG'S PRESENT SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. *F, HOWEVER, THERE WERE GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE CREATION OF A BROADLY BASED ''GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE**, OPTION (C) MIGHT BE THE MOST PREFERABLE BECAUSE HT WOULD ENSURE THAT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WAS SELECTED AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE MERITS OF DIFFERENT CANDIDATES AND THAT HE ENJOYED THE CONFENDENCE AND SUPPORT OF A BROAD SECTOR OF THE
COMMUNITY.
METHOD OF ELECTION
6. HF ONE OF THE ABOVE SYSTEMS OF ELECTION HIS CHOSEN, HIT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO GAWE CONSIDERATION TO THE METHOD OF ELECTION AND VOTING SYSTEM TO BE USED (OPTIONS RANGE FROM A SIMPLE OR TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY SYSTEM TO A TRANSFERABLE VOTE SYSTEM) AND TO THE MACHINERY FOR SUBMITTING THE ELECTED CANDIDATE FOR APPOINTMENT BY THE CPG.
7. 4F A **GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE'' (GEC) WERE TO CONSTITUTE THE ELECTORAL BODY, MIT MIGHT BE PRUDENT TO ADOPT A PROCEDURE FOR NOMINATIONS AND FOR THE SELECTION OF A SHORT LIST OF CANDIDATES. ONE OPTHON MIGHT BE FOR THE GEC TO ELECT, FROM AMONG WITS MEMBERS, ''A NOMINATING COMMITTEE'' WITH RESPONSABILITY FOR DRAWING UP A SHORT LIST OF CANDIDATES. ALTERNATIVELY THE SYSTEM MIGHT SUMPLY REQUIRE CANDIDATES TO BE NOMINATED BY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ORDINARY ELECTORS AND THEN ENDORSED BY A SPECIFIED NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE GEC. THE LATTER SYSTEM WOULD BE MORE OPEN AND THEREFORE MORE LIKELY TO FOSTER PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE ELECTORAL PROCEEDINGS.
TERM OF OFFICE
B.
HIT WAS SUGGESTED IN PAPER # OF MAY 1986 THAT THE TERM OF OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE COULD EITHER COINCIDE WHITH THAT OF THE LEGISLATURE, OR BE STAGGERED TO PROVIDE FOR THE SELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT A DATE DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF ELECTIONS TO THE
LEGISLATURE.
9.
WHICHEVER OPTION WERE SELECTED, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WOULD NEED TO BE ASSURED OF A STRONG BODY OF SUPPORT WITHIN THE LEGISLATURE.
OTHERWISE THE ABILITY OF THE EXECUTIVE TO AMPLEMENT HITS POLICIES AND ENSURE THE EFFICIENT CONDUCT OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE
LEGISLATURE MIGHT BE COMPROMISED.
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