XN000022-1985-01-09 — Page 18

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1985

• IN OTHER WORDS, THE APPOINTMENT SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE USED TO COMPENSATE THOSE PROFESSIONS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AS FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES ELIGIBLE FOR RETURNING MEMBERS TO THE COUNCIL, HE ADDED.

EARLIER IN HIS SPEECH, MR WONG SAID HE CONSIDERED THE GROUPING OF A DISTRICT OR DISTRICTS WITH POPULATION OF 500 000 AS ONE CONSTITUENCY IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AS RATHER DEMANDING.

HE SAID THE NUMBER SHOULD BE ADJUSTED DOWNWARDS SO THAT THE MEMBERS COULD MORE EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT THE IR RESPECTIVE CONSTITUENCIES.

CONCERNING THE ARRANGEMENT FOR ELECTING UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, MR WONG SAID HE FULLY SUPPORTED IT AND FELT THAT IT SHOULD BE MAINTAINED INDEFINITELY SIDE BY SIDE WITH DIRECT ELECTIONS IN FUTURE.

HE CONSIDERED AS ARBITRARY THE VIEW THAT UNOFFICIALS ELECTED IN THIS WAY WOULD ONLY CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH THE INTERESTS OF THE GROUPS TO WHICH THEY BELONGED.

+THE INTERESTS OF INDIVIDUAL GROUPS MAY NOT NECESSARILY GO AGAINST THOSE OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

+EVEN IF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF CERTAIN GROUPS DO VENTURE TO PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS ONLY TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR OWN PROFESSIONS IN TOTAL DISREGARD OF PUBLIC INTERESTS, THERE ARE STILL MANY OTHER MEMBERS IN THE COUNCIL TO KEEP AN EFFECTIVE BALANCE, HE SAID.

'REVIEW SHOULD MAP OUT REFORMS TO END OF CENTURY'

*****

THE 1987 REVIEW PROPOSED IN THE WHITE PAPER SHOULD MAP OUT A PROGRAMME OF REFORMS FOR THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG TO THE END OF THIS CENTURY, DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION ON THE WHITE PAPER, DR HO SAID HE WAS HAPPY TO NOTE THAT THE TIMING OF THE REVIEW HAD BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD TO 1987.

+THERE ARE ONLY 12 YEARS BEFORE 1997 AND AN EARLY REVIEW !S IMPORTANT, HE SAID.

DR HO SAID THE REVIEW SHOULD DEAL WITH AT LEAST THREE AREAS OF CONCERN.

/FIRST, IT