XN000022-1985-04-03 — Page 8

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1985

HOWEVER, HE OBSERVED ONE POSSIBLE CRITICISM OF THIS SYSTEM WAS THAT THE CANDIDATE WHO HAD SECURED THE GREATEST NUMBER OF FIRST PREFERENCE VOTES MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE ELECTED.

+ INSTEAD, A CANDIDATE WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF VOTES EVENLY DISTRIBUTED IN HIGHER PREFERENCES (THAT IS, A LARGE NUMBER OF VOTERS CHOOSE HIM AS THEIR FIRST, SECOND OR THIRD PREFERENCES) WILL STAND A MUCH BETTER CHANCE, HE SAID.

DR HO NOTED THAT THE OPERATIONAL DETAILS OF THE ENTIRE ELECTORAL PROCESS WOULD BE DRAWN UP IN THE SUBSIDIARY REGULATIONS AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL.

+1 WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE GOVERNMENT HOLD AS WIDE AND THOROUGH CONSULTATION WITH THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AS TIME PERMITS IN DRAFTING THOSE REGULATIONS, HE SAID.

FINALLY, DR HO SUGGESTED THAT PROPER AMENDMENTS TO VARIOUS CLAUSES SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED IN THE 1987 REVIEW IN ORDER TO KEEP IN LINE WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF ROOTING THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT IN THE PEOPLE.

THESE SHOULD INCLUDE TRANSFERRING THE POWER GIVEN TO THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL IN CLAUSES 19, 28 AND 46 TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND STIPULATING THAT REGULATIONS FOR REGISTRATION OF VOTERS AND ELECTION PROCEDURES AS WELL AS AMENDMENTS TO THE SCHEDULES SHOULD BE MADE BY WAY OF A RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID.

"WORTHY PEOPLE SOUGHT TO SERVE HK'

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THE HON ANDREW SO TODAY DESCRIBED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (ELECTORAL PROVISIONS) BILL 1985 AS THE FIRST EDICT CALLING FOR TALENT WHEREBY HONG KONG MAY PROGRESS TOWARDS THE SYSTEM OF HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING HONG KONG+.

SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL, MR SO SAID IT SPELT OUT THE DETAILS TO ELECT WORTHY AND CAPABLE PEOPLE TO SERVE HONG KONG FROM VARIOUS ELECTORAL COLLEGE CONSTITUENCIES SO THAT THE PROPOSALS IN THE WHITE PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG MIGHT BE IMPLEMENTED AND ONE BIG STEP BE MADE TOWARDS THE TARGET OF HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING HONG KONG.

/+IT IS