XN000022-1987-07-15 — Page 39

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1987

HOWEVER, ITS IMPLEMENTATION MIGHT CUT OFF THE EXISTING LINKAGE BETWEEN DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL UNLE99 DISTRICT BOARDS WERE INVOLVED IN THE NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES STANDING FOR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS, THAT WAS, CANDIDATES MUST BE NOMINATED BY A FIXED NUMBER OF DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS.

THE PROCESS OF DISTRICT BOARD NOMINATION SHOULD IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CANDIDATES, TO CONTROL THEIR NUMBER ENHANCE THE CANDIDATES' IMAGE AS WELL AS THE CONFIDENCE OF SHE SAID.

AGE SHOULD BE

HELP ΤΟ AND TO VOTERS,

LOWERED

THE COMMISSION HAD WHICH MEANT THAT INTO CONTRACTUAL BE ILLOGICAL TO

ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE VOTING FROM 21 TO 18, MRS FAN NOTED THAT THOSE IN FAVOUR OF LOWERING VOTING AGE MAINTAINED THAT SINCE THE LAW REFORM RECOMMENDED TO LOWER THE AGE OF MAJORITY ΤΟ 18 YOUNGSTERS WHO HAD REACHED THAT AGE COULD ENTER AGREEMENTS OR OBTAIN A LOAN FROM OTHERS, IT WOULD DEPRIVE THEM OF THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

IF THE AGE OF MAJORITY WAS FIXED AT 18, THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE A STRONG CASE FOR NOT ALLOWING PERSONS AGED 18 TO VOTE OR TO STAND FOR ELECTIONS, SHE SAID.

NONETHELESS, SHE SAID THERE WERE TWO KINDS OF CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH SHE WOULD OBJECT TO LOWERING THE VOTING AGE IN 1988. FIRST, THE AGE OF ENTITLEMENT TO VOTE SHOULD NOT BE LOWERED BEFORE THE AGE OF MAJORITY WAS LOWERED TO 18.

BE

SECOND, IF DIRECT ELECTIONS WERE TO

INTRODUCED IN 1988, WHICH WOULD BRING ABOUT A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN HONG KONG'S SYSTEM, OTHER CHANGES SUCH AS THE LOWERING OF VOTING AGE SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AT A LATER STAGE IN LINE WITH THE SPIRIT OF PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT.

ON FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS, MRS FAN SAID THAT JUDGING FROM THE EXPERIENCE GAINED OVER THE PAST 20 MONTHS OR So, THIS ARRANGEMENT HAD PROVED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN ENABLING THE VIEWPOINT OF VARIOUS TRADES AND PROFESSIONS TO BE DULY REFLECTED IN THIS COUNCIL, THUS CONTRIBUTING TO THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.

SHE THEREFORE FELT THAT THE NUMBER OF CONSTITUENCIES COULD BE INCREASED SLIGHTLY WHILST AT THE THE SCOPE OF SOME EXISTING FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES FURTHER EXTENDED.

FUNCTIONAL SAME TIME, COULD BE

FOR EXAMPLE, THE ACCOUNTING PROFESSION AND THE INDUSTRY WHICH HAD BOTH CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR INCLUSION FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.

THE

TOURIST ECONOMIC AS NEW

/ON THE