28-OCT-1992 17:36
A.G.'S CHAMBERS
+852 877 2130
P.17
Annex E(2)
Paper Handed Over to the Chinese Government :
Voting Procedures for the SAR Legislature
During their meeting in Peking on 11 January 1990 with the Governor of Hong Kong, Mr LI Hou and Mr. LU Ping explained the Chinese Government's views about voting procedures for the SAR legislature.
2.
According to press reports, at its meeting in January this year, the BLDC Special Group on the Political System agreed to add to the draft Basic Law a new provision on separate vote counting as follows:
"Unless otherwise specified by this Law, all bills and motions introduced to the Legislative Council of the HKSAR shall be passed by a simple majority of members elected by functional constituencies and by a simple majority of members returned by direct election and the Election Committee attending the meeting. If a bill proposed by the Government is not passed by a simple majority of either of the above two categories of members attending the meeting, the Government shall amend the bill and re-submit it to the Legislative Council for voting: such bills shall be passed by a simple majority of all the members, attending the meeting.
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3.
These press reports have attracted a great deal of public criticism in Hong Kong. This has focussed on the divisiveness and inefficiency of the proposed voting There has been widespread concern that the proposal was agreed by the Special Group on the Political System despite strong local objections.
system.
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