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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
13 July 1988
1845
Both quality and quantity will have to be taken into account in constituting the future legislature. The interests of all sectors of the local community should also be carefully balanced. That means the Hong Kong public should be able to elect their representatives to the legislature while caution must also be taken to ensure that a balanced representation is achieved.
I support alternative I under Annex II which progress that 50 per cent of the members of the SAR legislature are elected through functional constituencies, 25 per cent by 'one-man-one-vote' direct election and 25 per cent by an electoral college.
In the selection of the Chief Executive, the various interests of the local community also have to be balanced. The Chief Executive should not be elected by the legislature to ensure that he or she will be able to withstand any undue influence from the legislature and will act independently.
I support alternative I as listed in Annex I, under which the Chief Executive is elected by the same kind of electoral college as used in electing 25 per cent of the members of the legislature. This electoral college provides the necessary balance of interests among the various sectors in the local community while it also contains an element of election.
The above two options in forming the legislature and electing the Chief Executive both require the setting up of a broadly represented electoral college. This college is composed of 600 representatives elected from a wide range of local organisations and it can ensure a balanced and complete representation of the Hong Kong community.
This electoral college is a feature which does not exist in Hong Kong's present political system. It will be too hasty for us to set up this electoral college only by 1997 when Hong Kong becomes a Special Administrative Region. We need to plan and prepare ahcad.
It is suggested that if the idea of setting up such an electoral college is finally accepted, Hong Kong's present Government should take the first opportunity to set it up after the Basic Law is promulgated. This will allow sufficient time to polish and refine`this system when necessary before 1997 so that a smooth transition will be ensured.
With these remarks. Sir, I support the motion.
Mr. Wong Po-YAN (in Cantonese): Sir, as a member of the Basic Law Drafting Committee of the Hong Kong SAR People's Republic of China, I welcome the Council's debate on the Basic Law today. The Basic Law will be the Basic Law for Hong Kong after 1997. It has a direct bearing on every Hong Kong resident and should be a matter of concern of everybody. I feel that for Members of this Council, no matter whether they are elected or appointed, they are playing a leading role in society. Therefore, to discuss the Basic Law here and to discuss individual comments will be important as well as representative. I trust that