WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1988
POLLING DAY ELECTIONEERING WILL BE STUDIED
THE ACTING CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON PIERS JACOBS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) HE NOTED A LEGCO AD HOC GROUP'S SUGGESTION THAT THERE BE GREATER CONTROL ON ELECTIONEERING ACTIVITIES ON POLLING DAY.
"THE ADMINISTRATION WILL BE EXAMINING IN DETAIL WHAT MEASURES SHOULD BE PROPOSED TO ACHIEVE THIS,
+ MR JACOBS SAID IN WINDING DEBATE ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1988.
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HE SAID HE WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT THAT HAD BEEN GIVEN ΤΟ THE BILL AND ALSO TO THE REGIONAL COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1988 AND THE URBAN COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1988.
THE ADMINISTRATION'S ORIGINAL PROPOSAL REGARDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1991 DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS COUNCIL ELECTIONS WAS THAT THEY SHOULD BE HELD AT THE MARCH OF THAT YEAR, MR JACOBS SAID.
THE
AND MUNICIPAL SAME TIME IN
US OF THEIR
"HOWEVER, MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC GROUP HAVE TOLD PREFERENCE FOR THE TWO ELECTIONS TO BE SEPARATELY HELD IN MARCH AND MAY RESPECTIVELY, HE SAID.
"WE APPRECIATE THE REASONS GIVEN BY THE GROUP
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FAVOUR OF THIS ALTERNATIVE, MR JACOBS SAID, ADDING THAT HE AGREED WITH PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WHICH WOULD BE MOVED AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE OF THE TWO RELATED BILLS.
MR JACOBS ALSO MOVED A COMMITTEE STAGE AMENDMENT ΤΟ CLAUSE 1 OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1988.
THIS AMENDMENT SOUGHT то ADD A COMMENCEMENT DATE SO THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS TO REMOVE FROM ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL THE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSHIP OF DISTRICT BOARDS IN THE URBAN AREA, AND TO REMOVE THE RIGHT OF THE URBAN COUNCIL ΤΟ NOMINATE APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL TO BE MEMBERS OF URBAN DISTRICT BOARDS WILL TAKE EFFECT FROM APRIL 1, 1989.
"THIS ENSURES THAT PRESENT URBAN COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS UNTIL THEIR TERM OF OFFICE ON MARCH 31, 1989,
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HE SAID.
SPEAKING ON THE URBAN COUNCIL, (AMENDMENT) BILL 1988, MR MOVED A NEW CLAUSE 108.
EXPIRES
JACOBS
"THE NEW CLAUSE 10B INCREASES THE QUORUM FOR A MEETING OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND OF ITS STANDING COMMITTEE FROM SEVEN TO 10 MEMBERS, IN PROPORTION TO THE EXPANDED MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL WHICH WILL NUMBER 40 INSTEAD OF 30 FROM APRIL 1 1989 ONWARDS,
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BE SAID.
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