XN000022-1988-03-17 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1988

REFERRING TO THE EXPANSION OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES FOR THE YEE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, DR LAI SAID IT WAS SURPRISING THAT THE HEUNG KUK DID NOT HAVE A SEAT IN THE COUNCIL.

IT

"IF

IS CONSTITUENCIES, THEN

IMPOSSIBLE

AT

TO INCLUDE

LEAST

IT REPRESENTATION

IN

THE FUNCTIONAL IN THE COUNCIL

ITS

MANY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES SHOULD BE GUARANTEED. AFTER ALL, HOW CAN CLAIM TO REPRESENT 500,000 PEOPLE?" HE ASKED.

DR LAI SAID AN ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE WAS ACCOUNTABLE TO

CONSTITUENCIES WHO ELECTED HIM. MEMBERS ELECTED FROM FUNCTIONAL ONLY ACCOUNTABLE TO A SPECIFIC TRADE OR BUSINESS.

CONSTITUENCY

THOSE WERE

WERE

TOO

MUCH

THE

OF INTERESTS

A FUNCTIONAL NARROWLY-BASED. BY CONTRAST, DISTRICT-BASED CONSTITUENCIES COULD BETTER REPRESENT THE PUBLIC'S INTERESTS.

ANOTHER

PROBLEM

CONCERNED

THE

THE OF REPRESENTATIVENESS

WHICH TRADE WAS TO BE

FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SYSTEM, IN DECIDING INCLUDED AND WHICH WAS TO BE LEFT OUT.

OF SEATS "OF COURSE MANY PROFESSIONS SEE THEMSELVES AS WORTHY

THEM IN TURN CREATES IN THE COUNCIL; ARBITRARILY GRANTING SEATS TO

ARE EXCLUDED, CONFLICTS AND FURTHER DEMAND FOR SEATS FROM THOSE WHO HE SAID.

"I

CERTAINLY

HOPE

11

OF EXPANSION

FUNCTIONAL THAT THE

PRELUDE TO THE 'GRAND ELECTORAL CONSTITUENCY SEATS TODAY IS NOT A COLLEGE' SYSTEM IN LATER YEARS."

HAVE PREPARED

DR LAI ALSO SAID THAT SINCE THE GOVERNMENT HAD DECIDED TO DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1991, IT WAS ADVISABLE TO GET EVERYTHING AT LEAST ONE YEAR BEFORE THE ELECTION DATE.

"DETAILS

LIKE

NOMINATION

CONSTITUENCY CONSTITUENCY MUST BE

QUALIFICATIONS, BOUNDARIES, NUMBER OF SEATS ALLOCATED IN EACH CAREFULLY THOUGHT OUT TO AVOID CONFUSION.

Fr

"AN EARLY RELEASE OF THESE CANDIDATE TO FULLY PREPARE HIMSELF TO STAND FOR ELECTION.

ARRANGEMENTS

WILL

ENABLE

A

H

FOR

DR LAI SAID HE FELT THAT THE WHITE PAPER FAILED TO PROVIDE

PREPARE FOR FUTURE

OF REPRESENTATIVE DEVELOPMENT MORE CHANGES TO GOVERNMENT AS THE APPOINTMENT SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO CEASE BY 1997.

"THE 10

OFFICIAL MEMBERS

MEMBERS ONLY REDUCES BY TWO. AS I CHANGE' IS ESSENTIAL TO

CHANGES

+

IN 1988 WILL HAVE BETWEEN 1991 AND 1997," HE SAID.

MAINTAIN

REMAIN. THE NUMBER OF HAVE SUBMITTED STABILITY.

APPOINTED

ΤΟ BE

FOLLOWED

BY

EARLIER, HOWEVER, THE

AN 'ABRUPT

' GRADUAL 'GRADUAL CHANGE'

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