WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1988
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MRS FAN SAID THAT IN THE GREEN PAPER DEBATE LAST JULY, SHE HAD ADVOCATED AN INCREASE IN FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SEATS AND THE REPLACEMENT OF INDIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS BASED ON GEOGRAPHICAL ELECTORAL COLLEGES BY DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS.
"
I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT RELEVANT STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN THE WHITE PAPER.
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SHE SAID THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SYSTEM WAS CRITICISED BY SOME PEOPLE AS BEING UNDEMOCRATIC AND DIVISIVE.
HOWEVER, EXPERIENCE OVER THE PAST 26 MONTHS HAD PROVED THAT MEMBERS RETURNED BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WERE NOT ONLY CONCERNED WITH
THE INTEREST OF THEIR OWN CONSTITUENCY, BUT ALSO WITH
TERRITORY-WIDE ISSUES.
"MOREOVER, VIEWS FROM DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS AND TRADES HAVE ENRICHED DICUSSION IN THIS COUNCIL AND ENABLED LEGISLATION ΤΟ BE MORE THOROUGHLY SCRUTINISED.
"WHILE RESPECTING THE THEORETICAL AND ACADEMIC ARGUMENTS ON POSSIBLE SHORTFALLS OF THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SYSTEM, I BELIEVE FURTHER EXPANSION OF SEATS IN THIS CATEGORY IS WELL SUPPORTED BY ACTUAL EXPERIENCE IN THIS COUNCIL AS A SUITABLE ELEMENT IN. THE LEGISLATURE OF HONG KONG.
"IN PARTICULAR, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE INCLUSION OF THE TOURIST INDUSTRY AS A FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY AT A FUTURE DATE, IN VIEW OF ITS SIGNIFICANT AND SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO OUR ECONOMY.
MRS FAN SAID THE PROPOSAL TO REPLACE THE 10 SEATS CURRENTLY ALLOCATED TO GEOGRAPHICAL ELECTORAL COLLEGES BY DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS WAS CRITICISED BY SOME AS A RETROGRESSIVE STEP.
DEMOCRACY.
**I RELIEVE THAT THIS IS A PROGRESSIVE STEP TOWARDS IT IS REASONABLE AND NATURAL TO REPLACE INDIRECT ELECTION BY DIRECT ELECTION AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FORMER FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.'
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SHE SAID THAT SOME PEOPLE PREDICTED THAT THE STATUS OF DISTRICT BOARDS WOULD BE LOWERED AS
RESULT OF THE REMOVAL OF GEOGRAPHICAL ELECTORAL COLLEGES.
"THIS RESERVATION IS UNDERSTANDABLE BUT THE PREDICTION IS NOT NECESSARILY CORRECT. IN FACT, ANY FAR-SIGHTED DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER WOULD WORK RVEN HARDER AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL SO THAT THEIR PERFORMANCE CAN HELP TO PAVE THE WAY FOR DIRECT ELECTION IN 1991.'
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WILLE THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGCO SEATS WOULD BE 10 IN 1991, SHE DID NOT SEE WHY THIS NUMBER COULD NOT BE INCREASED AFTER 1991 TO COVER EACH OF THE 19 DISTRICTS.
/MRS FAN
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