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152
A
MDHIAN
5. LEGCO SHOULD ELECT ITS OWN PRESIDENT, WHO WOULD HAVE ALL THE PROCEDURAL POWERS OF THE CURRENT PRESIDENT (THE NEED FOR PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS WITH REVENUE/EXPENDITURE IMPLICATIONS TO HAVE THE GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE RETAINED). LEGCO SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN SECRETARIAT. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS (AND BL 75), ITS RULES OF PROCEDURE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE MADE BY IT ON ITS OWN. I WILL REGULARLY MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE FOR SPECIAL SESSIONS WHEN I WILL MAKE STATEMENTS OF POLICY ON PARTICULAR ISSUES AND ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM LEGCO MEMBERS.
6.
TO ENSURE THE EFFECTIVE DESPATCH OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN LEGCO, A NON-STATUTORY GOVERNMENT BUSINESS COMMITTEE SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED. IT WOULD BE CHAIRED BY ME, CS OR FS, ACCORDING TO THE ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED. THE COMMITTEE WOULD CONSIST OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS (NOT EXCO NON-OFFICIALS) AND LEGCO MEMBERS, WITH AN UPPER LIMIT OF PERHAPS 12 OF THE LATTER. I PROPOSE TO DISCUSS WITH THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF LEGCO HOW THE COMMITTEE WOULD OPERATE, AND HOW THE LEGCO COMPONENT MIGHT BE MADE UP, E.G. CONVENOR OF THE IN-HOUSE COMMITTEE, EQUAL NUMBERS OF CRC AND UDHK, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HK DEMOCRATIC FOUNDATIONS, MEETING POINT AND THE PRO-CHINA GROUP AND SOME WAY OF REPRESENTING
INDEPENDENT MEMBERS.
DISTRICT BOARDS
7. WITH A FULLY ELECTED LEGCO IN 1995, IT WOULD BE HARD TO JUSTIFY THE CONTINUATION OF APPOINTED MEMBERSHIP OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS. ALL MEMBERS SHOULD THEREFORE BE ELECTED. THIS WOULD PROBABLY RESULT, AFTER SOME REDRAWING OF BOUNDARIES, IN A TOTAL OF SOME 365 MEMBERS. THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES SHOULD BE ENHANCED (ON THE LINES SET OUT IN CAB'S PAPER 19/92, SENT TO HKD).
MUNICIPAL COUNCILS
8.
THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS SHOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED AND APPOINTED MEMBERSHIP ABOLISHED. DISTRICT BOARD REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD CONTINUE TO SIT ON MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND THE REGIONAL COUNCIL SHOULD RETAIN THE 3 EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK. THE COMPOSITION OF THE URBAN COUNCIL WOULD THEN BY 32 ELECTED AND 9 DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS. THE REGIONAL COUNCIL WOULD COMPRISE 27 ELECTED, 8 DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS AND 3 EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK.
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