GREEN PAPER UNDER FIRE (mary papers, prominently)
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The proposed district administration- boards would ov.rshadow the Urban Council with their wider scope of interests, said the Viċ-Chairman of the Urban Council, Mr Hilton Cheong-loon, at a luncheon meeting. He pointed out that under the new system, the power of the Urban Council would bo weakened and be easily controlled by the goverint. Mr Cheong- leen opposed the increase in the number of official councillors as proposed in the Groen Paper and suggested the inclusion of some unofficial representatives of the New Territories in the Urban Council.
About the franchise, Mr Chuong-leen thought Meligiblo electors should be resident in HK for at least
seven years. He disagreed with what the Green Paper proposed the people staying in HK over three years would be eligible for election, saying that it would be too risky and might attract more immigrants to Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, elected members of the Urban Council hold a closed-door meeting to discuss the District Administration Green Paper. Most of the members reportedly were opposed to the district elections as proposed in the Green Papor, saying that this move would only lower the status of the elected councillors,,
At a forum yesterday, the Chairman of the United Nations Association of Hong Kong, P: Ma Man-fai, openly attacked the proposed district administration scheme as a faro) of sham democracy. Ho noted that the district electoral system would be used to tealoon the power of those influential councillors, while onhancing the chances of British people becoming, Urban Councillors by extending the franchise.
Home Affairs Branch
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