XN000022-1985-07-12 — Page 16

JULY 12, 1985

+ IT ALSO GUARANTEES THAT NO GROUP OF PEOPLE WILL BE WITHOUT A REPRESENTATIVE TO REFLECT THEIR VIEWS TO THE COUNCIL ON THE WIDE RANGE OF BASIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES TO WHICH THEY ARE ENTITLED,+ MR CHEUNG ADDED.

IT WOULD BE +AT THIS POINT IN OUR CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, DIFFICULT INDEED TO DEVISE A BETTER WAY THAT GIVES THE LOCAL PEOPLE A CLOSER INVOLVEMENT AND GREATER INFLUENCE IN THE AFFAIRS OF GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.

ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP ITSELF, MR CHEUNG NOTED THAT THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL COMPRISES 24 MEMBERS. NINE OF THEM ARE ELECTED BY EACH OF THE NINE DISTRICT BOARDS IN THE NON-URBAN AREAS, WHILE THE CHAIRMAN AND THE TWO VICE CHAIRMEN OF THE HEUNG YEE KÜK ARE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS. THE REMAINING 12 ARE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.

THE ELECTED ELEMENT, HOWEVER, WILL BE INCREASED BY 12 IN THE REGIONAL COUNCIL NEXT YEAR WHEN THE TOTAL COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP WILL

+THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT REACH ITS FULL STRENGTH OF 36 MEMBERS. DEVELOPMENT IN OUR CONSTITUTIONAL EVOLUTION AS WE PROGRESS TOWARDS A MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT,+ MR CHEUNG SAID.

REITERATING HIS COMMITMENT TO THIS DEMOCRATISATION PROCESS, HE DESCRIBED IT AS ONE WAY TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S POLITICAL AND SOCIAL STABILITY,

MR CHEUNG SAID, TRUE DEMOCRACY IS GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE AND OF THE PEOPLE. BECAUSE IT IS ONLY THROUGH THE DIRECT INPUT OF DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS, AS WELL AS THOSE INDIRECTLY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES VIA THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND HEUNG YEE KUK, AND APPOINTMENTS OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WELL-KNOWN FOR THEIR PUBLIC SERVICE, THAT THE MAN IN THE STREET CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE FROM THE COUNCIL IN RESPECT OF MANY SERVICES THAT AFFECT THEIR DAILY LIVES.

+THE PRESENT SET-UP OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL BRINGS US THAT MUCH CLOSER TOWARDS THIS IDEAL, AT LEAST IN SO FAR AS THE RESIDENTS IN THE NON-URBAN AREAS ARE CONCERNED. BECAUSE UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE COUNCIL, THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL BE AS RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE AS ITS RESOURCES WOULD ALLOW WITH REGARD TO THE PROVISION OF A WIDE RANGE OF MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND FACILITIES, MR CHEUNG SAID.

THE WORK OF THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, COVERING ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE, PUBLIC HEALTH AND RECREATION AND CULTURAL FACILITIES AND SERVICES, WAS SO WIDE THAT THE QUALITY OF ITS SERVICES HAD A DIRECT BEARING ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PEOPLE IN THE NON-URBAN AREAS, HE SAID.

WHILE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL IS A GIANT STEP FORWARD IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. THIS MOMENTUM CANNOT BE MAINTAINED WITHOUT THE ACTIVE SUPPORT OF THE MAN IN THE STREET AND VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS, URGED.

HE

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