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HKCB
01216
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FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 06130OZ FCO
TELNO 835
OF 06120OZ MARCH 90
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
031450 MDHIAN 9839
1991
YRTELNO 498: CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE: 1991 LEGCO
SUMMARY
1. EXCO TODAY (6 MARCH) CONFIRMED THE PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS REACHED AT RECENT MEETINGS (MY TELNO 755) ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND DISTRICT BOARDS FOR THE
1991 ELECTIONS.
DETAIL
2. ON THE OVERALL SIZE OF LEGCO, MEMBERS FELT THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO GIVE A SENSE OF IDENTITY TO APPOINTED MEMBERS IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE A SECOND CLASS GROUP IN THE 1991 LEGISLATURE. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS WAS TO MAINTAIN 17/18 APPOINTED MEMBERS, EXCLUDING EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS AND THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT.
3. WE DISCUSSED ALTERNATIVES WHICH WOULD PRODUCE A SMALLER TOTAL MEMBERSHIP BY EITHER REDUCING FURTHER THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED MEMBERS OR EXPANDING LESS RAPIDLY THE NUMBERS OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. BUT THE GENERAL FEELING WAS THAT WITH A TOTAL OF 30 FUNCTIONAL SEATS NEEDED IN 1995 WE OUGHT TO MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE NOW, AND THAT WITH SO MANY CHANGES DUE TO TAKE PLACE IN 1991 IT WOULD BE AS WELL TO HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL REMAINING BODY OF APPOINTED MEMBERS. GIVEN THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE ON POLITICAL STRUCTURE, MEMBERS THOUGHT THERE WAS NOW NO SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE IN KEEPING THE OVERALL TOTAL BELOW THE FIGURE FOR 1995, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO STRONG VIEWS ON PRECISE FIGURES BETWEEN 58-
60.
4. MEMBERS AGREED THAT THE TWO MUNICIPAL COUNCILS SHOULD BECOME FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. THEY ALSO AGREED ON THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL NEW CONSTITUENCIES:
A) FINANCIAL SERVICES (STOCKBROKING, COMMODITIES AND FUTURES TRADING),
B) ENGINEERING (TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE EXISTING CONSTITUENCY
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