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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY, 1
FIRST IT SHOULD MAP OUT A PROGRAMME OF REFORMS FOR THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG TO THE END OF THE CENTURY.
+THE REFORMS SHOULD INCLUDE THE FUNCTIONS AND COMPOSITIO.... OF THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS AND THE POSITION AND ROLE OF THE GOVERNOR, HE SAID.
SECOND SERIOUS CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE PHA, OUT OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.
HOWEVER, THERE SHOULD BE ELECTION FROM EACH OF THE 19 DIS BOARDS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO ENSURE A GEOGRAPHICAL BA.. OF REPRESENTATIVES, DR HO SAID.
THE THIRD AREA WHICH DR HO RECOMMENDED THE REVIEW SHOULD LOOK INTO WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, BASED ON UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE, TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
HE SAID DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD BE BROUGHT IN GRADUALLY THAT THE APPOINTMENTS SYSTEM STILL HAD ITS MERITS DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD AND COULD EXIST SIDE BY SIDE WITH DIRECT ELECTIONS.
THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIC. BY A CONSCIOUS, SUSTAINED AND LARGE-SCALE PROGRAMME OF CIVIC EDUCATION, DR HO SAID.
DR HO SAID IT WAS IMPERATIVE FOR HONG KONG TO DEVELOP A TEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT BEFORE 1997 TO ENSURE THAT THE PELF COULD ADMINISTER THE TERRITORY EFFECTIVELY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, HE BELIEVED THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR RAD REFORMS OR POLITICAL EXPERIMENTATION AND THEREFORE ENDORSED IS PRINCIPLE THE CAUTIOUS, STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH TO POLITICAL REFORMS ADVOCATED IN THE WHITE PAPER.
HOWEVER HE SUGGESTED GOVERNMENT SHOULD FOCUS ITS ATTENTION ON LAYING DOWN CLEAR GUIDELINES ON THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR CANDIDATES AND THE COMPILATION OF ELECTORAL ROLLS AND ELECTION PROCEDURES FOR FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, TO ENSURE THAT MEMBERS RETURNED BY THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES COULD TRULY REPRESENT THE IR FUNCTIONAL GROUPS IN THE LEGISLATURE.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE GROUPING OF THE DISTRICTS INTO 10 GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES DISREGARDED POPULATION DIFFERENCES, DISTRICT IDENTITIES AND LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS.
HE WOULD RATHER SEE EACH OF THE 19 DISTRICT BOARDS RETURN ONE OR TWO REPRESENTATIVES TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN PROPOF TO THE IR POPULATION, HE SAID.
DR HO ALSO FELT THAT DUAL MEMBERSHIP ON DIFFERNET BOARDS A+ COUNCILS SHOULD BE ALLOWED.
HE LAID