22
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1980
+ONCE AGAIN I WOULD REFER HON MEMBERS TO THE EXAMPLE OF SINGAPORE WHERE SIMPLE, IF SHARP, LEGAL SANCTIONS ARE EMPLOYED WITHOUT ANY GENUINE INFRINGEMENT OF CIVIL LIBERTIES, HE SAID.
HE ALSO REGARDED THE PROPOSED SETTING UP OF A NEW *KEEP HONG KONG CLEAN+ CAMPAIGN AS TIMELY.
+ INDEED IT IS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH A PLEA I MADE IN THIS CHAMBER A YEAR AGO.
+HOWEVER, THIS TIME WE MUST ENSURE MOMENTUM IS NOT LOST.+
SUGGESTION FOR WAY TO ELECT DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES
******
A MIXED ELECTION SYSTEM FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL AND DISTRICT BOARDS WAS ADVOCATED BY THE HON F.K. HU IN THE ANNUAL POLICY DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
OUTLINING HIS PROPOSAL, MR HU SAID THAT OUT OF 15 ELECTED URBAN COUNCILLORS, 10 SHOULD BE CHOSEN ON A DISTRICT BASIS AND FIVE ON A TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS.
HE SAID THERE SHOULD BE ONLY ONE ELECTION IN EACH DISTRICT AND THE CANDIDATE WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES WOULD AUTOMATICALLY HAVE A SEAT ON THE COUNCIL.
ELECTIONS ON A DISTRICT BASIS AND TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS SHOULD BE HELD AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
+JUDGING FROM THE RESULTS OF ELECTIONS CONDUCTED UNDER THE TWO SYSTEMS AND HAVING REGARD TO THE PERCENTAGE OF REGISTERED ELECTORS VOTING OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS, WE COULD EVENTUALLY DECIDE WHICH SYSTEM WAS MORE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND THEN MAKE A FINAL DECISION ON WHETHER ELECTIONS SHOULD BE ON A DISTRICT BASIS OR A TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS.+
MR HU WAS CONFIDENT THAT DISTRICT BOARDS WILL SUPPLEMENT THE ROLE OF THE URBAN COUNCIL IN PROVIDING A QUICKER AND BETTER SERVICE AT DISTRICT LEVEL THROUGH FEEDBACK TO THE REGIONAL OFFICES OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT WHICH WOULD CONTINUE TO ACT WITHIN THE OVERALL POLICY OF THE COUNCIL.
THE
+FURTHERMORE, THROUGH THE DISTRICT ELECTED MEMBER, URBAN COUNCIL WOULD RECEIVE MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS AND WOULD THEREFORE MAKE BETTER POLICY DECISIONS AND THUS ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR PEOPLE.
/HE FELT