XN000022-1992-10-28 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1992

PROPOSAL SEEKS то

FIRST, THE

REMOVE SUCH CRITICISMS BY BROADENING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION WHILE PRESERVING THE 21 FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND TO THE COMMUNITY.

"THE

CONSTITUENCY

י

OVERALL EFFECT SHOULD THEREFORE BE A FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM WHICH EMERGES STRONGER, MORE REPRESENTATIVE, CERTAINLY MORE CREDIBLE.

AND

HAS

SECONDLY, THE OBJECTIVE OF THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SYSTEM ALWAYS BEEN TO INCLUDE THE WIDEST POSSIBLE RANGE OF DIFFERENT SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND PROFESSIONAL SECTORS WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE COMMUNITY'S PROSPERITY AND CONFIDENCE.

THE PROPOSED NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES FULLY MEET THIS

OBJECTIVE.

FOR

THEY ARE ALSO ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH THE FOUR GUIDELINES THE SELECTION OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES LAID DOWN IN THE 1988 POLITICAL WHITE PAPER, HE SAID.

"SO WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE ARE BUILDING ON EXISTING SYSTEMS; ARE NOT INTRODUCING RADICAL CHANGES," HE SAID.

WE

THIRDLY, THE PROPOSAL IS NOT A SURROGATE FOR MORE TERRITORY BASED DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS ANY MORE THAN THE PRESENT EDUCATION

CONSTITUENCY IS.

THE ELECTORATE, THOUGH CONSIDERABLY EXPANDED, RESTRICTED TO THOSE WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE, HE SAID.

WILL

BE

"THEY WILL NOT HAVE A GEOGRAPHICAL BASED CONSTITUENCY. HOUSEWIVES, STUDENTS, RETIRED PERSONS ETC WILL BE EXCLUDED.

IN PRACTICE, HE SAID THIS MEANT THAT OVER A MILLION OUT OF A TOTAL OF 3.7 MILLION PEOPLE WHO WERE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS WOULD NOT BE ABLE ΤΟ VOTE IN FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY STRESSED THAT THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE OF THE GOVERNMENT IN DEALING WITH MATTERS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG AND YET MIGHT AFFECT RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA MUST BE TO DO WHAT IT BELIEVED TO BE RIGHT IN THE OVERALL INTEREST OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE.

THAT IN TURN WILL INVOLVE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE OPINIONS OF THIS COMMUNITY EXPRESSED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, HE SAID.

THESE ARE THROUGH THE EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL CONTACTS WITH THE COMMUNITY, VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE COUNCIL, IN THE MEDIA THROUGHOUT OPINION POLLS AND SO ON.

ACCOUNT BORDER,

"AND, OF COURSE, IN COMING TO DECISIONS WE

THE IMPACT OF THOSE DECISIONS UPON OUR HE SAID.

MUST TAKE INTO FRIENDS ACROSS THE

"THAT INDEED