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MY TWO IPTS: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: WHITE PAPER: AMENDMENTS
(CHAPTER I AND II)
FOLLOWING IS REVISED TEXT OF PARAS 1 TO 5.
BEGINS
BACKGROUND
AS A
ON 27 MAY 1987 THE GOVERNMENT PUBLISHED A GREEN PAPER
ENTITLED ''THE 1987 REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT''. HONG KONG'S SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
HAS BEEN DEVELOPING SINCE THE 1970S. IT WAS LAST REVIEWED IN 1984, WHEN ELECTIONS TO GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS WERE STILL CONFINED TO THE REGIONAL AND DISTRICT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
RESULT OF THAT REVIEW, THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO EXTEND THE ELECTORAL PROCESS TO THE CENTRAL LEVEL. ACCORDINGLY, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REORGANIZED IN 1985 WITH THE
INTRODUCTION OF 24 INDIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS. THE GOVERNMENT ALSO
ANNOUNCED IN 1984 ITS DECISION TO REVIEW THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
WHOLE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AGAIN IN 1987.
REVIEW BEGAN WITH THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
PAPER.
THAT
2. HONG KONG HAS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
WHICH DIFFERS FROM THOSE ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD. THIS HAS REFLECTED THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG, INCLUDING ITS STATUS AS A NON-SOVEREIGN TERRITORY: ITS SMALL AREA WITH A LARGE, RAPIDLY GROWING AND INCREASINGLY EDUCATED POPULATION: ITS FAST PACE OF
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: AND ITS POSITION AS A MAJOR
BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL CENTRE. THESE FACTORS HAVE REQUIRED THE
GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP THE SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION TO MEET THE
GROWING NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF SOCIETY, WHILE MAINTAINING POLITICAL STABILITY, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND EFFECTIVE ADMINIS-
TRATION.
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