XN000022-1985-01-10 — Page 26

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1985

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+WHERE NECESSARY, THE GOVERNMENT CAN SET UP VARIOUS KINDS OF AD HOC COMMITTEES UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN ORDER TO OBTAIN AND ABSORB PROFESSIONAL ADVICE MORE FREQUENTLY, INTENSIVELY AND COMPREHENSIVELY, HE SAID.

MR LAM SAID APPOINTED AND DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS SHOULD ALSO BE THE +BRANCHES+.

HE SUGGESTED THAT AS AN EXPERIMENT ON AN EVEN MORE OPEN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN IN THE 1987 REVIEW TO SETTING UP THREE DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS, ONE EACH FOR HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

ON THE NUMBER OF SEATS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR LAM SAID HE FAVOURED THE WHITE PAPER'S PROPOSED NUMBER (A TOTAL OF 56) AND FELT THERE SHOULD BE NO CHANGE BY 1988.

HOWEVER, HE FELT THAT SEATS RETURNED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE COULD BE INCREASED TO 21, WITH 19 MEMBERS FROM THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND ONE EACH FROM THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE REGIONAL COUNCIL.

A SEAT FOR ACCOUNTANTS COULD BE ADDED TO THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES TO INCREASE THE NUMBER TO 13.

+ THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED MEMBERS CAN THEN BE REDUCED TO 12,+ HE SAID.

+ IF THREE DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS ARE PROVIDED, THEN THE NUMBER MAY BE FURTHER REDUCED TO NINE.

+ACCORDING TO THIS DISTRIBUTION PLAN, THERE ARE 46 UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS AND 10 OFFICIAL MEMBERS, MR LAM SAID.

SINCE MEMBERS OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD HAVE FREQUENT CONTACTS WITH ONE ANOTHER ON DISTRICT AFFAIRS, IT WAS EASIER FOR THEM TO MAKE THEIR CHOICE AND THERE WAS A GREATER CHANCE OF RETURNING SUITABLE CANDIDATES TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR LAM SAID.

FURTHERMORE, AS MEMBERS OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL COUNCILS ARE DIRECTLY ELECTED BY LOCAL PEOPLE, THEY HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE VOTERS AND ARE UNDER THE IR SUPERVISION, HE ADDED.

+THUS, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR ELECTED IN THIS WAY CAN AUTHORITATIVELY REPRESENT HIS DISTRICT,+ HE SAID.

ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTION OF MEMBERS FROM THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, MR LAM BELIEVED THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE ACCORDING TO THE STRUCTURES OF THE RELEVANT ORGANISATIONS OR PROFESSIONAL BODIES.

MR LAM SAID HE HOPED THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WOULD KEEP IN VIEW THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG SO THAT IT WOULD BE IN LINE WITH THE FUTURE BASIC LAW.

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