WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1934
LEGCO TO HAVE 56 MEMBERS BY 1985
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WITH THE CHANGES MADE TO THE ORIGINAL PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER FOR THE FUTURE COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, ITS TOTAL MEMBERSHIP WOULD BE EXPANDED TO 56 EY 1985, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TODAY.
SPEAKING ON THE JUST PUBLISHED WHITE PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG, SIR EDWARD SAID THAT OF THE 56 MEMBERS, 24 WOULD BE ELECTED UNOFFICIALS, 22 WOULD BE APPOINTED UNOFFICIALS AND 13 WOULD BE OFFICIALS.
THE CHANGES LEADING TO THIS NEW LEGCO COMPOSITION ARE:
*
FIRST, THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS WHO WILL BE ELECTED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES IN 1985 WILL BE INCREASED, IN BOTH CASES FROM SIX TO 12.
* SECOND, IT IS INTENDED TO DIVIDE THE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER>
OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE INTO 10 GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES, BASED ON GROUPS OF DISTRICTS, EACH OF WHICH WILL REPRESENT ROUGHLY HALF A MILLION PEOPLE. IN ADDITION, THE URBAN COUNCIL AND REGIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE COLLEGE WILL EACH FORM A SEPARATE CONSTITUENCY. THESE 12 CONSTITUENCIES WITHIN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WILL EACH ELECT ONE MEMBER TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1985.
*
THIRD, THE 12 UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS FROM THE NINE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES TO BE ELECTED IN 1985 WILL REPRESENT THE COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, FINANCIAL, LABOUR, SOCIAL SERVICES AND EDUCATION SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THE LEGAL, MEDICAL AND ENGINEERING PROFESSIONS. THEY HAVE BEEN SELECTED BECAUSE EACH REPRESENTS A MAJOR SECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY, IMPORTANT TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRESS; AND BECAUSE THERE ARE WELL ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY-WIDE INSTITUTIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS, OR PROFESSIONAL REGISTERS, TO PROVIDE A BASIS FOR THE IR ELECTORAL ROLLS. THE COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND LABOUR CONSTITUENCIES WILL ELECT TWO MEMBERS EACH; THE OTHER SIX WILL ELECT ONE MEMBER EACH.
* FOURTH, THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE
COUNCIL WILL BE REDUCED TO 22 IN 1985, INSTEAD OF 23 AS WAS PROPOSED IN THE GREEN PAPER.
* FIFTH, IT IS INTENDED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OFFICIAL MEMBERS TO 10, INCLUDING THE THREE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS, IN 1985.
/SIR MARD