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BOARDS. WHILE SIGNATURE CAMPAIGNS, NOT SURPRISINGLY, WERE ONE-SIDED,
SUBMISSIONS FROM GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS ALSO INDICATE SHARPLY
DIVIDED VIEWS AND THE MUCH DISCUSSED PUBLIC OPINION SRUVEYS SHOW THAT
VIEWS ARE FAR FROM UNANIMOUS ON THE QUESTION OF TIMING.
·
IN THE LIGHT OF THIS DIVERSITY OF VIEWS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THE
GOVERNMENT HAS CONSIDERED VERY CAREFULLY WHETHER IT WOULD BE RIGHT
TO GO AHEAD TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988.
THEN
THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF
GOVERNMENT IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT STEP. WHEN WE TAKE THIS STEP, WE MUST BE QUITE CERTAIN THAT WE CARRY WITH US THE WHOLE-HEARTED
SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. WE BELIEVE THAT IF WE WERE TO
PROCEED WITH DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988 WE WOULD HAVE NO SUCH
ASSURANCE. BUT IF FOR THESE REASONS 1988 IS NOT THE RIGHT YEAR,
THERE SHOULD BE A CLEAR DECISION ON WHEN THIS IMPORTANT CHANGE IN OUR
POLITICAL SYSTEM SHOULD BE MADE. GOVERNMENT HAS THEREFORE DECIDED
THAT IN 1991, TEN DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS WILL FOR THE FIRST TIME BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IN PLACE OF THE TEN SEATS
PRESENTLY INDIRECTLY ELECTED BY THE DISTRICT BOARD CONSTITUENCIES OF
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
IF MEMBERS ARE TO BE DIRECTLY ELECTED ON A GEOGRAPHICAL BASIS TO THE
CENTRAL GOVERNMNENTEN
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL, WHICH IS CONCERNED WITH TERRITORY-WIDE ISSUES, IT WOULD CLEARLY BE A NATURAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THEM TO REPLACE THE MEMBERS WHO ARE INDIRECTLY ELECTED ON THE SAME BASIS. AT
THE SAME TIME, IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE LINKS BETWEEN T THE CENTRAL AND REGIONAL LEVELS. WE SHALL THEREFORE RETAIN TWO
SPECIAL CONSTITUENCIES SO THAT EACH MUNICIPAL COUNCIL CAN CONTINUE TO
ELECT A MEMBER TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
ALTHOUGH THE ISSUE OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS DOMINATED THE 1987 REVIEW, MANY OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES WERE CONSIDERED AND COMMENTED UPON. THERE WAS WIDESPREAD PUBLIC INTEREST
ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE GOVERNOR SHOULD REMAIN AS PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WITH THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THOSE
COMMENTING BELIEVING THAT HE SHOULD.THE GOVERNMENT RESPECTS THIS
VIEW AND THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE IN THE POSITION OF THE GOVERNOR AS
THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR THE TIME BEING.
ON THE QUESTION OF THE EXISTING COMPOSITION OF THIS COUNCIL PUBLIC
OPINION GENERALLY FAVOURED A GRADUAL APPROACH TO CHANGE IN 1988. WE
HAVE THEREFORE CONCLUDED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO MAJOR CHANGE
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