XN000022-1984-07-18 — Page 2

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 1984

GOVERNOR SPEAKS ON GREEN PAPER

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THE GREEN PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPR ENTATIVE -VE-NMENT IS A ANOTHER STEP ON THE WAY TO ESTABLISHING A SYSTEM WHICH DERIVES ITS AUTHORITY FROM THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY,

THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

THE GREEN PAPER'S PROPOSALS DEAL PRINCIPALLY WITH THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS, SAID SIR EDWARD.

+AS REGARDS THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IT IS PROPOSED THAT A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE ELECTED INDIRECTLY BY AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE COMPOSED OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, THE NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS THAT A SIMILAR NUMBER SHOULD BE ELECTED BY SPECIFIED FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES: BY WHICH WE MEAN ORGANISATIONS REPRESENTING COMMERCE INDUSTRY. THE LAW AND OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF OUR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIFE; THAT A NUMBER OF APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS SHOULD BE RETAINED ON THE COUNCIL, FOR THE TIME BE ING; AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A GRADUAL REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

+BY 1988, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WOULD BE COMPOSED OF 12 UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, 12 UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, 16

THIS APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS AND TEN OFFICIAL MEMBERS. COMPARES WITH THE PRESENT COUNCIL OF 29 APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS AND 18 OFFICIALS.+

SIR EDWARD SAID THE SYSTEM OF INDIRECT ELECTIONS WOULD BE INTRODUCED STEP BY STEP WITH PROGRESS REVIEWS. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN TWO STAGES, 1985 AND 1988 FOLLOWING THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS IN EACH YEAR. IN 1989 THERE WOULD BE A REVIEW TO DETERMINE WHAT FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS SHOULD BE PURSUED.

AT THAT TIME THE POSSIBILITY OF ALL UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS BEING ELECTED AND THE POSSIBILITY OF DIRECT ELECTIONS WOULD BE ASSESSED.

+AS REGARDS THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, IT IS PROPOSED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE REPLACED PROGRESSIVELY BY MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FROM THE IR OWN NUMBER; THAT A FEW MEMBERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR; AND THAT EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS SHOULD REMAIN AS MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. THESE PROPOSED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WOULD ALSO BE INTRODUCED IN TWO STAGES - IN 1988 AND 1991 - FOLLOWING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN EACH OF THOSE YEARS.

+ THE INTENTION