XN000022-1985-01-09 — Page 17

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1985

COMMENTING ON SPECIFIC PROPOSALS OF THE WHITE PAPER, MR WONG SAID THE ARRANGEMENT OF RETURNING UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAD GIVEN RISE TO CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS.

HE SAID FIRSTLY, THE WHITE PAPER PUT TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON THE SALANCED COMPOSITION OF THE MEMBERS, LIMITING EACH CATEGORY OF THE ELECTED MEMBERS TO 12.

THIS WOULD RESULT IN SOME MAJOR FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES BEING KEPT OUT, AND MR WONG SAW A NEED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER IN ORDER TO ENLARGE REPRESENTATION IN THIS CATEGORY.

SECONDLY, THE WHITE PAPER DID NOT MENTION IN DETAIL THE CRITERIA BY WHICH THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WERE CHOSEN.

THIRDLY, THE DIRECT ENTRY OF MEMBERS FROM THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES THROUGH INDIRECT ELECTION TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST ARRANGEMENT SINCE MEMBERS NEEDED TO HAVE A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOVERNMENT MACHINERY AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY.

IT WAS THEREFORE NECESSARY FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE SOME SUPPORTIVE MEASURES. SUCH AS APPOINTING MORE REPRESENTATIVES OF THESE BODIES TO THE DISTRICT BOARDS OR MAJOR ADVISORY COMMITTEES, TO PREPARE THEM FOR THE RESPONSIBILITIES THEY MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE UP ONCE THEY WERE ELECTED TO THE COUNCIL, HE SAID.

FOURTHLY, TO AVOID INCONSISTENCY IN THE METHOD OF ELECTION OF REPRESENTATIVES BY THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SPECIFY THAT ONLY THOSE CHOSEN BY GENERAL ELECTION WITHIN A CONSTITUENCY COULD BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE COUNCIL.

LASTLY, MR WONG SAID, TO AVOID A GREAT TURNOVER OF THE MEMBERS FROM THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, THERE WAS A NEED FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE UPON THEIR MINIMUM TERM OF OFFICE UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

MR WONG SUPPORTED THE PROPOSAL TO RETAIN APPOINTED MEMBERS ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AT THE PRESENT STAGE.

HOWEVER, HE SAID THERE WERE POINTS HERE WHICH DESERVED CONSIDERATION,

+FIRSTLY, AS THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE (OR BY DIRECT ELECTION) AND BY THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES INCREASES AND AS THEY GAIN MORE AND MORE EXPERIENCE, THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED MEMBERS SHOULD BE REDUCED GRADUALLY.

+SECONDLY, THE APPOINTED MEMBERS SHOULD BE THE ELITE OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND THE IR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND SHOULD HAVE NO DEARING ON THE IR APPOINTMENT, HE SAID.

J

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