WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1985
+ THE TASK IS BEFORE US TO BUILD A GOVERNMENT FIRMLY ROOTED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND FULLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG,+ HE ADDED.
MR LIAO WAS SPEAKING AT A LECTURE ON THE FIRST PHASE OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, ITS AIMS AND HOW IT WORKS SO FAR+ FOR THE CIVIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME FOR FIRST YEAR UNDERGRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG.
HE SAID AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE CONCEPT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IS THE EFFECTIVE REFLECTION OF THE VIEWS OF CITIZENS TO THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THEIR REPRESENTATIVES.
+IN THIS RESPECT, IT CAN BE SAID THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG, AS A GOVERNMENT BY CONSULTATION OF CONSENSUS, HAS ACHIEVED A CONSIDERABLE MEASURE OF SUCCESS, + HE SAID.
MR LIAO SAID WHILE IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONSULT EVERY CITIZEN ON ALL PUBLIC ISSUES, IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT THERE SHOULD BE CHANNELS FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE.
WE
+HOWEVER, FOR THESE CHANNELS TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY STILL NEED TO HAVE SOME FORM OF REPRESENTATION, AND IN THE CONTEXT OF HONG KONG. THIS HAS TAKEN THE FORM OF APPOINTMENT AND MORE RECENTLY, ELECTIONS,+ HE ADDED.
+ THE AIMS ARE TO ENSURE THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLIC ARE FULLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE FORMULATION OF POLICIES, SO THAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN BECOME MORE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE,+ HE SAID.
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MR LIAO POINTED OUT THAT THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WAS A CULMINATION OF CHANGES AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE STRUCTURE OF ADVISORY COMMITTEES AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL TO PROVIDE A CHANNEL FOR LOCAL PARTICIPATION IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
THE FORMATION OF DISTRICT BOARDS IN 1982 PROVIDED A FORUM FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, AND RESIDENTS HAD MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THEIR VIEWS KNOWN AND TO SHARE IN THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR COMMUNITIES, MR LIAO SAID.
COLLECTIVELY, THE DISTRICT BOARDS FORM THE LARGEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE ORGAN IN VOICING THE VIEWS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS, HE ADDED.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES, COMPRISING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, HAVE PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ENSURING THAT THE DEPARTMENTS ARE RESPONSIVE TO THE ADVICE OF THE BOARDS, HE SAID.
/THE VAST