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13.
There are other special problems. For
Whereas
instance, if I were to appoint a trades unionist he would be a member of a union with either Communist or Kuomintang affiliations there are no others. the former would be unacceptable and in any case would not accept, the latter would be regarded by the CPG as a significant and unfriendly appointment.
14.
Depressingly it is apparent that the sort of person who is elected to the Urban Council is little different in background to those appointed to the Urban or Legislative Councils, except that with one or two exceptions their calibre and willingness to work, and their public standing, is lower. This is because the electoral process commands little interest or respect in itself. When unrelated to the realities of power it offers no inducement to the population to take it seriously, or to people of sufficient calibre to subject themselves to it. I hope that the new Mutual Aid and Area Committees may throw up some vigorous and respected personalities with a social background quite different to that of present members of the Executive, Legislative or Urban Councils. If they do the problem of broadening the membership of the Councils wald be solved.
15.
There is of course no objection of principle to appointing to the legislative Council persons who are elected members of the Urban Council. I have already made one such appointment on its merits and to demonstrate that I consider elected members of the Urban Council eligible, since they had not been so appointed in the past. But the appointment was because the member was suitable in his personal capacity, and not only because he had been elected. There would be no objection in principle to other such appointments, always provided the persons were suitable for the Legislative Council in their own right.
16.
considerations.
But this brings me to other and related
The cohesion and security of UMELCO
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