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Mr Lee said the qualifications for electors were reviewed in 1980 when a comprehensive public consultation exercise was conducted.
The decision, as recorded in the White Paper: District Administration in Hong Kong published in January 1981, stated that "Government considers that foreign nationals who meet the age and residence requirements should not be excluded from registering and voting."
The White Paper further stated: "First, this would be a retrograde step in that existing Urban Council franchise does not exclude them.
"Secondly, and in Government's view this is a more important consideration, Hong Kong is a very open society and foreign nationals have made and will no doubt continue to make an important contribution to the well-being and development of the community."
Mr Lee said the electoral laws had been extensively reviewed and revised many times since then, but the practice of enfranchising foreign nationals who had lived and worked for more than seven years had never been questioned.
As regards the HIKEODHA's suggestion that foreign domestic helpers should not be treated in the same manner as other foreign nationals working in Hong Kong when it comes to being eligible for voting, Mr Lee said as long as a foreign worker, irrespective of nationality, satisfied the ordinary residence and other relevant qualifications under existing electoral laws, the Administration could not deny him the right to become registered.
"Foreign domestic helpers' lawful residence in Hong Kong for employment purposes may be regarded as ordinary residence," he said.
As regards the point that only permanent residents will be entitled to vote and stand as candidates under the Basic Law, Mr Lee said the Basic Law would only come into effect on July 1, 1997, and the definition of "permanent residents" was a matter under discussion in the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group.
"Until that wider issue is settled, it would be premature to amend existing electoral laws to differentiate the electoral right of permanent residents and non- permanent residents," he said.
End/Thursday, April 27, 1995