XN000022-1985-01-09 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1985

+SINCE THE WHITE PAPER WAS PUBLISHED, THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SOME RENEWED DEMANDS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN GENERAL ACCEPTANCE THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD NOT BE INTRODUCED IMMEDIATELY. I SHOULD MAKE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT, ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CONSIDER THAT IT WOULD BE EITHER TIMELY OR WISE TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS JUST NOW, IT DOES NOT OBJECT IN PRINCIPLE TO THIS PARTICULAR METHOD OF ACQUIRING MEMBERSHIP. AT THIS STAGE, HOWEVER, IT IS ESSENTIAL NOT TO PUT AT RISK THE HARMONY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG BY INTRODUCING TOO MANY MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS TOO RAPIDLY, OR TO OVERLOAD THE SYSTEM (INCLUDING THE CIVIL SERVICE AND THE ADMINISTRATION) WITH TOO MANY CHANGES SIMULTANEOUSLY.

+1 SHOULD JUST MENTION HERE, SIR, THE GOVERNMENT'S CONCERN TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIC EDUCATION IN HONG KONG. THE PLANS TO PROMOTE CIVIC EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS WHICH WERE ANNOUNCED IN THIS COUNCIL IN JULY LAST YEAR BY THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION ARE WELL IN HAND. A NEW SUBJECT OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS IS TO BE INTRODUCED. THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HAS TENDERED ADVICE ON HOW TO STRENGTHEN THE CIVIC EDUCATION ELEMENT IN EXISTING SUBJECTS AND IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF GUIDELINES ON PROMOTING CIVIC AND POLITICAL AWARENESS AMONG STUDENTS IS BEING PREPARED.

LEGISLATION

+AS STATED IN THE WHITE PAPER, THE ELECTORAL LEGISLATION WILL BE ALONG THE LINES OF EXISTING ELECTORAL PROVISIONS ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS PROVED TO BE GENERALLY ADEQUATE FOR THE CONDUCT OF DISTRICT BOARD AND URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS. THE LEGISLATION IS NOW BEING DRAFTED AND WILL COVER SUCH MATTERS AS THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A VOTER, THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A CANDIDATE, THE METHODS BY WHICH THE ELECTORAL ROLLS FOR THE VARIOUS CONSTITUENCIES WILL BE DRAWN UP AND THE PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING THE ELECTIONS. IT WILL ALSO LAY DOWN THE DETAILED COMPOSITION OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.

+ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNDERTAKING GIVEN IN THE WHITE PAPER, A SERIES OF MEETINGS HAS BEEN HELD DURING THE PAST SIX WEEKS OR SÓ WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE ORGANISATIONS ON WHICH THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WILL BE BASED, IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE LEGISLATION AND THE PROCEDURES WHICH WILL BE INTRODUCED FOR CONDUCTING THE ELECTIONS IN SEPTEMBER NEXT. VARIOUS POINTS HAVE BEEN RAISED BY THESE ORGANISATIONS WHICH WILL BE GIVEN CAREFUL CONSIDERATION.

+THE ELECTIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, i. SIMILAR FASHION TO THAT IN WHICH THE DISTRICT BOARD AND URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED ALREADY, AND, OF COURSE, VOTING WILL BE BY SECRET BALLOT.

/* THE SOVRNMENT