Indirect elections
E
4. The Committee would like to know how indirect elections
will work, eg who will be able to stand, how large the
constituencies will be, etc. Details are set out in the
attached note, which Mr Maude may wish to hand over to the
Committee.
Chief Executive: Selection
5.
Article 45 of the Basic Law states that the ultimate
aim is the selection of the Chief Executive by universal
suffrage. This is welcome although the Basic Law makes
clear that progress towards this aim must be gradual and
orderly.
In the interim there are two provisions for selecting
the Chief Executive:
6.
(a) The decision of the National People's Congress of 4 April prescribes the formation of the first Hong Kong SAR
Government, including the selection of the Chief Executive.
This involves a Selection Committee of 400 members who will
recommend the candidate for the first Chief Executive
through local consultations or through nomination and
election after consultations.
(b) Subsequently Annex 1 provides for the following
method for selecting the Chief Executive. This will be by a
broadly representative Election Committee composed of 800 members who will vote in their individual capacities by secret ballot on a one person one vote basis. Candidates for Chief Executive must be nominated by not less than 100
members of the Election Committee.
7. It is essential to the maintenance of confidence in Hong
Kong that the head of the first Hong Kong SAR Government
should be seen to be representative of the community. We