XN000022-1990-10-31 — Page 22

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1990

20

"THE SYSTEM WE HAVE PROPOSED FOR THE 1991 DIRECT ELECTIONS THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IS NOT NEW.

TO

USED

"IT

IS MODELED ON THE STATUTORY FRAMEWORK WHICH HAS BEEN SINCE 1982 FOR THE DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS," HE SAID.

SIR DAVID SAID THE SYSTEM HAS SERVED US WELL AND THE PUBLIC WAS FAMILIAR WITH IT.

ITS AWAY "WE BELIEVE IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE OF US TO CAST AND EXPERIMENT WITH AN UNTRIED NEW SYSTEM AT THIS STAGE OF HONG KONG'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT," HE SAID.

SIR

DAVID

ACCUSATION SAID HE TOTALLY REJECTED ANY GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN GERRYMANDERING OVER ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES.

THAT

THE

"IN REACHING

ON BOUNDARIES, DECISIONS ACCOUNT OF THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS AVAILABLE PRESENT AND FUTURE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION,

THE GOVERNMENT

TOOK 1991,

AND

THE

CONSIDERATIONS BOUNDARIES.

IN GEOGRAPHICAL EXISTING ELECTORAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE

"PARTY POLITICS WAS NO PART OF OUR THINKING AND INDEED IT TAKES

WE: A MACHIAVELLIAN MIND TO CONGER UP A CONSPIRACY THEORY OVER THE WAY HAVE DRAWN UP THE ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES, HE SAID.

M

MADE

SUGGESTION ON THE

THAT VOTER REGISTRATION

BE SHOULD AUTOMATIC, BASED ON THE RECORDS OF THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS OFFICE, SIR DAVID SAID THE PROPOSAL DID HAVE ITS ATTRACTIONS AND REASON IT HAD BEEN CAREFULLY EXAMINED.

THERE "HOWEVER,

ARE MAJOR PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES. RECORDS WOULD NOT AND DO NOT ESTABLISH WHETHER A PERSON WAS TO REGISTER AS A ELECTOR.

FOR

THIS

THESE

QUALIFIED

"IT IS ALSO UNLIKELY THAT ADDRESSES WOULD BE UP-TO-DATE, THE MOBILITY OF THE POPULATION WITHIN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

||

GIVEN

COMMENTING ON MEMBERS SUGGESTED CHANGES IN THE WAY IN WHICH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OPERATED, SIR DAVID SAID THE

BE CHANGES TO INTRODUCED IN 1991 WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE

OF THE WORKINGS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

"WE ARE ALREADY CONSIDERING THESE BROAD QUESTIONS BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AGAIN AT SOME OF OUR RULES AND PROCEDURES,

MEMBERS

"A PARTICULAR ISSUE IS THE PAYMENT OF ALLOWANCES TO TWO SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE: THAT REGARDED AS FULL TIME POLITICIANS AND PAID ACCORDINGLY, RESOURCES SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO ENABLE MEMBERS TO EMPLOY ASSISTANTS.

ALSO

MEMBERS.

BE SHOULD

THAT AND THEIR OWN

"

BE

SIR

"THESE SUGGESTIONS AND OTHERS ARE WELCOMED AND WILL CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND DECIDED WELL BEFORE THE 1991 ELECTIONS, DAVID SAID.

/21