TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1984
+GREATER MOMENTUM IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT+
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THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE WITH GREATER MOMENTUM AS AN INTEGRATED STRUCTURE OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IS BEING DEVELOPED, THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM SAID TODAY.
+FOR MANY YEARS, URBAN COUNCILLORS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR TO SIT ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL; AND RECENTLY, SOME DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALSO BEEN APPOINTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID.
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF A GROUP OF BUSINESSMEN, MR WIGGHAM SAID: THIS PROCESS OF DEVELOPING REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE WITH GREATER MOMENTUM IN THE LIGHT OF THE RECENT GREEN PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, WHICH EFFECTIVELY BRINGS THE VARIOUS LEVELS TOGETHER: DISTRICT BOARDS, REGIONAL AND URBAN COUNCILS, LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS+.
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+YOU CAN SEE HOW AN INTEGRATED STRUCTURE OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IS BEING DEVELOPED LOGICALLY, NATURALLY AND STEADILY, HE ADDED.
+WE HAVE ALL ALONG SOUGHT TO EVOLVE A SYSTEM AND STYLE OF GOVERNMENT WHICH IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN HONG KONG AND SPECIALLY SUITED TO OUR SITUATION AND WHICH WILL AT THE SAME TIME ALLOW FOR STILL FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AS CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE, + MR WIGGHAM SAID.
IN URGING PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THE FORTHCOMING DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, HE SAID: THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT 1984 WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE MOST CRUCIAL TO HONG KONG'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. +
HE SAID DISTRICT BOARDS WERE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP A +WATCH DOG+ ROLE IN MONITORING THE PERFORMANCE OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND THIS WAS A NATURAL AND HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT.
THERE WOULD BE AN EVEN GREATER INTEREST IN THIS ROLE ON THE PART OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS PARTICULARLY NEXT YEAR WHEN THE RATIO OF ELECTED TO APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS IS RAISED FROM THE PRESENT EQUAL BALANCE TO TWO TO ONE, HE SAID.
+THIS, AS I SEE IT, IS AN ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, AND WILL ENSURE THAT A GOVERNMENT WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY PERHAPS OVER-CENTRALISED AND OVER BUREAUCRATIC, BECOMES MORE RESPONSIVE AND MORE FLEXIBLE, HE SAID.
/+THE DEVELOPMENT