XN000022-1985-04-03 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1985

+TO ACHIEVE THIS AIM, THE WHOLE ELECTORAL SYSTEM MUST BE DEMOCRATIC, AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, ANYBODY WHO MEETS CERTAIN BASIC QUALIFICATIONS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO STAND FOR ELECTIONS, HE SAID.

+AFTER CAREFULLY STUDY THE BILL, I AM OF THE OPINION

THAT IT DOES PROVIDE A LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.+

HE SAID, SINCE THE FIRST READING OF THE BILL, MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING SOME FUNCTIONAL GROUPS, HAD RAISED RESERVATIONS REGARDING THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR CANDIDATES AND ELECTED MEMBERS AS PROVIDED

IN THE BILL.

THE FUNCTIONAL GROUPS WERE PARTICULARLY WORRIED THAT, WITH A LOOSE DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSITUTED A SUBSTANTIAL CONNECTION, MEMBERS SO ELECTED WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THEIR INTERESTS.

+GIVEN THAT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE SO IMPORTANT, SOME PEOPLE MAY QUERY WHY THE BILL DOES NOT STIPULATE THE QUALITY OF CANDIDATES, OR ENSURE THAT ELECTED MEMBERS COULD CONTINUE TO REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE IR RESPECTIVE ELECTORAL COLLEGE OR FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES,+ MR CHAN SAID.

IN FACT, HE SAID, PART V OF THE BILL HAD ALREADY LAID DOWN THE QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES AND ELECTED MEMBERS.

ALTHOUGH TO SOME PEOPLE THE PROVISIONS DID NOT SPECIFY THE EXPERIENCES AND PERSONALITIES OF CANDIDATES AND THEY FELT THAT THE QUALITY CONTROL MECHANISM IN THE SYSTEM WAS HIGHLY INADEQUATE, WE COULD NOT, HOWEVER, OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT IN A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM THE ROLE OF QUALITY CONTROL WAS PERFORMED BY THE ELECTORATE.

+ IF IT IS HOPED THAT ELECTED MEMBERS COULD TRULY CONTRIBUTE TO THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK IS TO GET EACH VOTER TO DISCHARGE HIS DUTY,+ MR CHAN SAID. HE CALLED ON ALL QUALIFIED VOTERS WHO HAD FAILED TO REGISTER TO DO SO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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