XN000022-1988-02-10 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1988

THE 10 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS WOULD REPLACE THOSE AT PRESENT INDIRECTLY ELECTED BY THE DISTRICT BOARD CONSTITUENCIES

OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, HE ADDED.

SIR DAVID SAID WHILE THE COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED, ADJUSTMENTS IN THE SEATS WOULD BE MADE.

THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED MEMBERS WOULD BE REDUCED BY TWO, FROM 22 TO 20, AND THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS ELECTED BY CONSTITUENCIES WOULD BE INCREASED BY TWO, FROM 12 TO 14.

FUNCTIONAL

FOR THE

SIR DAVID EXPLAINED THAT THE ADDITIONAL SEATS FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WOULD NOT BE NEW ONES, BUT RATHER AN EXPANSION OF EXISTING FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.

THE NUMBERS OF OFFICIAL MEMBERS AND MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD, REMAIN UNCHANGED.

THERE WOULD ALSO BE NO CHANGE IN THE POSITION OF THE GOVERNOR AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR THE TIME BEING, HE ADDED.

IN DELIBERATIONS ON THE FRAMEWORK OF THE WHITE PAPER, THE GOVERNMENT STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING AT THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE, SIR DAVID SAID.

"THE PRESENT STRUCTURE IS BASED ON THREE SEPARATE BUT INTER-CONNECTED TIERS: AT THE DISTRICT, THE REGIONAL AND CENTRAL LEVELS, COMPRISING DISTRICT BOARDS, THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID.

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IN DECIDING HOW BEST TO BUILD FURTHER ON THAT STRUCTURE, THE GOVERNMENT HAD TAKEN THE FOLLOWING GUIDING PRINCIPLES INTO ACCOUNT.

"FIRST, THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH OF THE THREE TIERS OF GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE CLEAR, AND THEIR ROLES SHOULD NOT OVERLAP:

"SECONDLY, THE THREE TIERS SHOULD CO-OPERATE AND BE LINKED IN A WAY WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE CONCERNS AT EACH LEVEL OP GOVERNMENT TO BE REPRESENTED AT THE NEXT HIGHER LEVEL; AND

EFFECTIVELY, VIEWS AND ADEQUATELY

OF EACH

"THIRDLY, THE METHODS OF CHOOSING THE MEMBERSHIP TIER OF GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE SUCH THAT THE BOARD OR COUNCIL WILL BE IN CLOSE TOUCH BOTH WITH THE VIEWS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND OF THOSE SECTORS WHOSE CONCERNS ARE PARTICULARLY RELEVANT TO ITS WORK."

/SIR DAVID