18.
12. SECRET
I see no merit whatever in some quarter-way position with either a few members only of the Legislative Council directly elected, or a specified number of members appointed from those elected to the Urban Council. The former would open the way for KMT members to obtain membership of the Legislative Council, and the latter in present circumstances would result in a serious lowering of the calibre and standing of the Council. Both would
be disruptive to the work of the Council, as the elected members would be apt to claim a special authority which they would not in fact have.
19.
Nor do I see merit in extending the field of responsibility of the Urban Council, merely because half its members have been through an electoral process of a sort. Though patchy the performance of the Council has been generally good, thanks largely but not exclusively to the appointed members. It has concentrated resources within defined limits on objects which could otherwise receive inadequate attention, and it is a good training ground. But in so small a community as Hong Kong I would be opposed to any further fragmentation of either power itself or of ability to direct deploy and adjust financial resources.
From point
of view of discussions with China in the '80s I also see danger and complication in the existence of an Urban Council with an expanded sphere of influence and ambitions to expand it further.
20.
None of these expedients to increase the role of the electoral process would be likely to satisfy such as there are who demand it, but on the contrary, the breach in the principle would be likely to encourage further demands. I believe therefore that we would be in a position that is both more tenable in Westminster and more acceptable locally if we accept the bar on the electoral process for the councils of real power as absolute. we should not just leave it at that.
The alternative to the electoral process
20.
However
It has been my constant recommendation that instead we concentrate on using the traditional method of appointment to achieve a membership of the Legislative Council that can speak from a wide spread of social background as well
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