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SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 1984
AND THE SETTING UP OF THE 18 DISTRICT BOARDS HAD +FORTUNATELY ENABLED US TO THINK ABOUT CHANGES OF A MORE IMPORTANT NATURE AT THE SUMMIT OF THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT+.
+WITHOUT THE DISTRICT BOARDS OUR PROGRESS NOW WOULD BE MUCH SLOWER AND LESS CERTAIN.
+ THE BOARDS WITH THE IR FAR-REACHING TERMS OF REFERENCE HAVE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT, IF NOT VITAL, ROLE IN THE MAINTENANCE OF CONFIDENCE; AS AN AVENUE FOR THE EXPRESSION OF OPINION;
A STABILISING FACTOR; AND A CHANNEL OF ADVICE.
+THEY HAVE GIVEN A COHESION TO THE COMMUNITY AT A CRUCIAL TIME IN OUR HISTORY.+
FURTHERMORE, HE SAID THE ROLE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAD ALSO CHANGED DURING THE PAST YEARS.
+MORE PROCEEDINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; MORE QUESTIONS ARE ASKED; AND ITS ROLE HAS GENERALLY BECOME MORE RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE.
+ON MAJOR MATTERS OF POLICY, AS WELL AS A MULTITUDE OF OTHER ISSUES OF PUBLIC CONCERN AND LOCAL SOURCES OF IRRITATION AND DISSATISFACTION, UMELCO MEMBERS HAVE PLAYED A PROMINENT ROLE: ENQUIRING, PERSUADING, ADVISING AND DECIDING.
+THIS, TOO, HAS UNDOUBTEDLY BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE LONG PERIOD OF STABILITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH WE HAVE ENJOYED AND THAT WE HAVE SURVIVED, WITHOUT SERIOUS AND LASTING EFFECT, THE CONSEQUENCES OF A PROTRACTED WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS.+
MR AKERS-JONES NOTED THAT IF THE GREEN PAPER PROPOSALS WERE TO BE IMPLEMENTED WITH OR WITHOUT MODIFICATION, THE FOLLOWING CHANGES WOULD TAKE PLACE NEXT YEAR A TWO-THIRD MAJORITY OF ELECTED MEMBERS IN MOST DISTRICT BOARDS UNOFFICIAL DISTRICT BOARD CHAIRMEN; NO OFFICIAL MEMBERS ON THE BOARDS; THE SETTING UP OF A NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL AND INDIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
+ THE IMPACT OF THESE CHANGES ON THE POLITICAL LIFE OF HONG KONG WILL BE FAR-REACHING, HE SAID.
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