The proposals have no staffing implications. The increase the proportion of directly elected members of the municipal councils will result in some additional expenditure for electoral organization, but this is not expected to be significant.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
16
We propose that the public should not be consulted on these proposals (just as they are not to be consulted over changes to the Legislative Council in 1991). To do otherwise will give rise to presentational problems, and may stimulate public debate about the lack of formal consultation about changes to the Legislative Council. For the same reasons, neither should the two municipal councils be consulted over the broad thrust of the proposals, although they will in due course need to be consulted over arrangements for new constituencies.
PUBLIC REACTION
17
There will be substantial media and public interest, both locally and overseas, in the overall package of proposals for constitutional development in 1991. Inevitably, the composition of the Legislative Council will attract the lion's share of that interest, but some attention will also spill over to the other two tiers.
The proposals for municipal councils are likely to be generally acceptable as representing reasonable incremental progress towards democratisation, though there may be some criticism over the lack of consultation. The proposed standstill at district board level is unlikely to be of much concern to the public at large, though it will be subject of criticism by liberals and some elected members. The lack of consultation will also draw adverse comment.
PUBLICITY
18
The decisions in respect of municipal council and district board composition will be announced at a press conference, as part of the package on constitutional development in 1991. The chairmen the municipal councils will be briefed, in confidence, in advance on the proposals affecting their councils.
of
(The
Secretary
for
Constitutional
Mr. M. M. Y. SUEN, will attend for this item.)
18 January 1990
(CAB C3/7 (89))
COUNCIL CHAMBER
CONFIDENTIAL
Affairs,