XN000022-1985-06-26 — Page 23

WEDNESDA JUNE 26, 1985

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MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL BILL (1985) WHICH HE SAID HAD LARGELY BEEN MODELLED ON THE URBAN COUNCIL ORDINANCE, SIR DAVID EXPLAINED IN DETAIL ITS SIGNIFICANT DIVERGENCES FROM THAT ORDINANCE.

HE POINTED OUT THAT ONE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE WAS THAT RELATING TO MEMBERSHIP.

+CURRENTLY, THE URBAN COUNCIL HAS A TOTAL OF 30 MEMBERS, OF WHOM 15 ARE DIRECTLY ELECTED AND 15 ARE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR. THE REGIONAL COUNCIL WILL CONSIST OF 36 MEMBERS DRAWN FROM FOUR DIFFERENT SOURCES,+ HE SAID.

TWELVE OF THEM WOULD BE DIRECTLY ELECTED, CONSTITUENCY-BASED MEMBERS, NINE WOULD BE REPRESENTATIVES ELECTED BY THE NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICT BOARDS WITHIN THE AREA OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL FROM AMONG THEMSELVES AND THREE WOULD BE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS - THE CHAIRMAN AND TWO VICE-CHAIRMEN OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK.

THE OTHER 12 WOULD BE APPOINTED MEMBERS, THREE OF WHOM WILL, AS CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE, BE MEMBERS OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK ESPECIALLY CHOSEN TO REPRESENT THE THREE CONSTITUENCIES OF THE KUK.

+THIS LATTER ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN AGREED BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE KUK, AND IS DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION OF RURAL INTERESTS AND IT CAN BE LOOKED AT AGAIN AS TIME GOES ON.

+BUT I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT, WITH THE INCLUSION OF THESE THREE MEMBERS, OF THE 24 MEMBERS OF THE PRESENT PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL IT SO HAPPENS THAT ABOUT 14 OF THEM ARE MEMBERS OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK, HE ADDED.

SIR DAVID SAID ELECTIONS FOR THE 12 DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS WOULD BE CONDUCTED AT THE SAME TIME AS THOSE FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL IN MARCH 1986, AND THE FIRST ELECTED MEMBERS WOULD HOLD OFFICE FOR THREE YEARS FROM APRIL 1, 1986.

+ELECTIONS FOR THE NINE REPRESENTATIVE MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS WILL BE HELD IN THE YEAR OF AN ORDINARY DISTRICT BOARD ELECTION.

→THE NEW TERRITORIES' DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE ALREADY ELECTED NINE SUCH REPRESENTATIVE MEMBERS TO THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE LAW PRESCRIBES TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS TO PROVIDE THAT THESE PERSONS SHOULD BECOME THE REPRESENTATIVE MEMBERS OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL UPON ITS INCEPTION, THUS ENSURING THAT SOME OF THE WORKING EXPERIENCE GAINED BY THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL WILL BE CARRIED FORWARD TO THE NEW COUNCIL, + HE SAID.

/SIR DAVID