26-NOV-1992 12:32
BRITISH TRADE COMM
P.08
More importantly, the role of LEGCO is also strengthened by proposals to introduce greater democracy in the selection of indirectly elected representatives. First, the franchise of the existing "functional constituencies" - the business and professional groups who are allocated seats in the LEGCO - is to be broadened (See Table 3). As it stands, the number of electors in functional constituencies is small in comparison to the geographic constituencies of directly-elected members. (The largest, the Teachers' Constituency, has less than 50,000 potential voters, compared to roughly 200.000 registered voters in the geographic areas.) Moreover, members of a functional constituency do not necessarily vote on an individual basis but often through member organisations or companies. New proposals would do away with corporate or organisational voting to allow greater exercise of individual choice.
Second, the nine new functional constituency seats that are to be created in the 1995 LEGCO (as already planned in the Basic Law) have been made more representative. The new constituencies parallel the existing classification of industrial and commercial sectors and thus cover a broad cross-section of Hong Kong society. Again, workers - rather than representative organisations would be given the right to vote for candidates from their respective functional group. The government's own estimates suggest that the franchise would be expanded by more than five times, allowing virtually all of the territory's eligible working population of 2.7 million the right to vote. Combined with plans to lower the voting age to 18 and to institute a single-vote, single seat system in geographic constituencies, these proposals would effectively incorporate a larger slice of Hong Kong's population into the electoral process and bring broader representation to the LEGCO.
through
extensions of
the franchise for indirectly elected mem-
...creation of
new "func- tional con- stituencies"...
Third, the Election Committee which is to elect ten additional members of LEGCO is also...and a more to be made more broadly-based. The Basic Law does not make explicit the composition representative of the Election Committee that will select the first term of legislative councillors in 1995. electoral In previous elections where LEGCO members have been selected by electoral committee college (1985, for example), committee members were drawn from the District Boards. Governor Patten has proposed a continuation of this process, but as appointed membership on the Municipal Council and District Boards may be abolished and local autonomy increased, the election committee will consist of directly elected members.
TABLE 3.
FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES: ACTUAL AND PROPOSED
Existing Functional Constituencies
Commercial (2)
Industrial (2)
Financial (2)
Labour (2)
Social Services (1)
Medical (2)
Teaching (1)
Legal (1)
Engineering (1)
Architectural (1)
Accountancy (1)
Real Estate (1)
Tourism (1)
Urban Council (1)
Regional Council (1)
Rural (1)
HK Chamber of Commerce: Chinese Chamber of Commerce
HK Federation of Industry: Chinese Manufacturers' Association
Banks and Deposit-taking Companies; Insurance Companies; Members of Stock. Commodities and Gold/Silver Exchanges
Registered trade unions
HK Council of Social Services
Doctors and dentists; nurses, midwives, pharmacists and other medical workere Teachers at schools, colleges, polytechnics and universities
Barristers and solicitors
Engineers
Architects, surveyors, planners, etc.
Accountants
Companies engaged in real estate development and contracting Member companies of the HK Tourist Association
Elected and appointed members of Urban Council
Elected and appointed members of Regional Council Leadership of Heung Yee Kuk
Proposed Functional Constituencies
Primary production, power and construction
Textiles and garments (1)
Manufacturing (1)
Import/Export (1)
Wholesale and retail (1)
Hotels and catering (1)
Transport and communication (1)
Financing, insurance, real estate and business services (1)
Community, social and personal services (1)
(figures in parentheses represent number of seats in LEGCO)
7