WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 1989
23
TO THE
MR LEE FOCUSSED ON MEMBERS' RECOMMENDATIONS PERTAINING POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE FUTURE HKSAR WHERE AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED, AND EXPLAINED THE REASONS FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATURE, MR LEE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF A CO-OPERATIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP AS WELL AS SUFFICIENT CHECKS AND BALANCES AGAINST POSSIBLE ABUSE POWER BETWEEN THE TWO ORGANS OF POWER.
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MEMBERS FELT THAT THE MODEL PROPOSED IN THE BASIC LAW DID NOT DEFINE THIS RELATIONSHIP CLEARLY. THEY PROPOSED THAT THE MANY UNWRITTEN CONVENTIONS IN THE EXISTING GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE WHICH HAD PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ENCOURAGING A CO-OPERATIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP SHOULD BE FORMALISED AND PRESERVED.
THOSE CONVENTIONS INCLUDED CLOSE CONSULTATION BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION AND OMELCO PANELS AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AD HOC GROUPS; OVERLAPPING MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: AND A WIDE CONSULTATION PROCESS THROUGH EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES PRIOR то MAKING OF POLICY DECISIONS BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
AN THE
"WE RECOMMEND, THEREFORE, IN RELATION TO ARTICLE 55, THAT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHOULD APPOINT AT LEAST HALF OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM AMONG MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR LEE SAID.
THIS REQUIREMENT WOULD ENSURE THAT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE HAD REASONABLE SUPPORT IN A FULLY ELECTED LEGISLATURE, AND THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAD INFLUENCE IN THE POLICY MAKING PROCESS.
THE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL APPOINTED FROM LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD HELP TO EXPLAIN AND OBTAIN SUPPORT ON ONE HAND, AND ACT AS A CHECK ON EXCO'S POLICY MAKING PROCESS ON OTHER. HE EXPLAINED.
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TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE LINK BETWEEN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE EXECUTIVE, MEMBERS FELT THAT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE MAJOR POLICY DECISION MAKING PROCESS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AT AN EARLY STAGE. AND HERE THE ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES WOULD HAVE AN IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY.
"HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF ADVISORY BODIES AND THE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE FEEL THAT IT IS ONLY NECESSARY TO SPECIFY THAT THE LATTER SHOULD BE APPOINTED TO ADVISORY COMMITTEES IN MAJOR POLICY AREAS WHICH WILL BE DECIDED BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS AT THE TIME." HE SAID.
TURNING TO THE SELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THAT MEMBERS HAD COME TO A UNANIMOUS VIEW THAT THE CHIEF SHOULD BE ELECTED BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE NO LATER THAN 2003.
MR
LEE SAID EXECUTIVE
"FOLLOWING THIS CONSENSUS, MEMBERS OF BOTH COUNCILS WILL NOW PROCEED TO SCRUTINISE AND DISCUSS THE DETAILS RELATED TO THE SELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, AND WHERE NECESSARY TO CONSULT ORGANISATION WHICH THEY REPRESENT," HE SAID.
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