CO537-1651 — Page 87

Voting

Singapore Legislative

Council.

alifications (a) Restricted to British

Membership

subjects.

(b) No property qualifica-

tion.

(c) No literacy test.

(d) Residence of twelve

months.

(e) Governor thinks age

limit of 25 accept- able if Secretary of State so advises, but our proposal is to permit voting at 21 years.

As for voting, plus Qualifications literacy in English.

1

Basis of Popular Elections.

Basis of Restricted Elections and non-Government Nominations.

Only one electoral roll

i.e. no communal system. Six members to be returned by this method.

Three members to be

elected by commercial bodies, the probability being that one will be English, one Chinese and one Indian.

Hong Kong Municipality.

(a) No restriction to British

subjects.

(b) Ownership or tenancy of

property on which rates of certain low amounts are paid annually, or appearance on jury

(c)

service list, or member- ship of profession etc. exempted from such service.

Literacy in English or

Chinese.

(a) Residence of twelve months for British subjects and Governor proposes similar period for non-British Europeans and Americans. The latter it is proposed to contest and to suggest assimilation with non- British Chinese for whom Governor proposes six years' residence in last ten.

(e) Governor suggests age

limit of 25, but it is proposed to press for 21.

(a) No restriction of nationality.

(b) No property qualification. (c) Literacy in English.

As for voting except that

for non-British Chinese ten years' residence in last fifteen is suggested. It is proposed to suggest to Governor assimilation of all the non-British as in the case of voters. (e) Age limit of 30 suggested by Governor but proposed to press for 21.

Separate registers for

Chinese and non-Chinese, ten of each being elected.

Ten members to be nominated

where necessary after an election) by various commercial and other bodies, the intention being that half should be Chinese and half non-Chinese.

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