TNAG-0373-FCO40-419-Visits-of-members-of-the-Hong-Kong-Urban-Council-to-the-UK-1973 — Page 23

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STATEMENT FOR RELEASE ON ELECTIONS TO HONG KONG EXECUTIVE

AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS

The

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The Constitution of Hong Kong provides that the Unofficial

Members of Executive and Legislative Councils are appointed by

the Governor on the instructions of the Secretary of State:

in the special circumstances of Hong Kong The problem about moving towards an elected legislature is that

self-government or independence for Hong Kong has to be ruled

This in or

རནང་ཚན་ཆོགངོན་ས་་་

Kötmisce ream out, ferebrious constitutional and political reasons,

Unofficial Members of ExCo and LegCo keep in touch with public

opinion through their own organisation UMELCO, which maintains a

very successful office for consultations and complaints from

the public. In addition the Government is advised by a wide

network of committees, in which a large number of the public it clear are involved.

The Urban Council, a partly elected and partly

The bok ariase

Good

have

made

Unofficia

on man nominated body, looks after specialist functions in the urban

electorate for the Urban Council is relatively small,

oreaim area.

Itrat

but both the elected and the nominated members are vocal and

been associated with setting up local committees which are the

Hey are influential in the fairs of the urban area. They have also jchäfiess with le Prevent Centre of action in particular ampaigns, such as the "Keep station Hong Kong Clean" or the "Fight Violent Crime" campaign. Ateak there

Finally

are a number of City District Officers, whose main job is to keep in touch with local opinion and discus government

policies with the ordinary people of Hong Kong. All these

arrangements ensure that, despite the constitutional restraints

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