TNAG-1220-FCO40-1530-Democratic-representation-and-reform-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 172

GR 1000

CONFIDENTIAL

H K K 011 RECEIVED

}

10 AUG 1933

Felsent

DE INDEX

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 959340Z AUG 33

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1143 OF 5 AUGUST

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

COPY

REVIEW OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

No

I AM INTENDING TO PROPOSE TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WORKING PARTY, TO BE CHAIRED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, AND WITH BOTH OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP, TO CONSIDER POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. THE INTENTION IS NEITHER TO EXPAND THE PRESENT ELECTORAL FRANCHISE, NOR TO EXTEND THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM BEYOND THE URBAN COUNCIL AND DISTRICT BOARDS, BUT MERELY TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE IMPROVED.

2. FOLLOWING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSALS IN THE 1931 WHITE PAPER DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG

(A) A NEW FORM OF STATUTORY ADVISORY BODY WAS CREATED, WITH ELECTED AND APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS COMING TOGETHER WITH DISTRICT BASED OFFICIALS. EIGHTEEN SUCH DISTRICT BOARDS, TEN IN THE URBAN AREA AND EIGHT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, WITH WIDELY DRAWN TERMS OF REFERENCE IN RESPECT OF DISTRICT AFFAIRS WERE THUS FORMED.

(B) A NEW ELECTORAL FRANCHISE WAS CREATED FOR ELECTIONS TO DISTRICT BOARDS, WITH THE RIGHT TO REGISTER AS A VOTER BEING CONFERRED UPON VIRTUALLY ALL OVER 21 YEARS OF AGE WHO HAVE BEEN RESIDENT IN HONG KONG FOR 7 YEARS OR MORE.

(C) THE FUNCTIONS AND GEOGRAPHICAL JURISDICTION OF THE URBAN COUNCIL WERE NOT CHANGED: BUT THERE WERE CHANGES IN THE ELECTORAL FRANCHISE AND COMPOSITION OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, AND NEW ARRANGEMENTS WERE INTRODUCED TO PROVIDE SOME COMMON MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE TEN URBAN DISTRICT BOARDS.

(D) THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL WAS INCREASED FROM 12 TO 15, AS WAS THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED MEMBERS: THE 15 ELECTED MEMBERS WERE ELECTED ON A DISTRICT, INSTEAD OF THE PREVIOUS TERRITORY-WIDE, CONSTITUENCY BASIS, AND THE NEW FRANCHISE FOR DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS WAS USED ALSO FOR ELECTIONS TO THE URBAN COUNCIL, REPLACING THE FORMER RESTRICTED URBAN COUNCIL ELECTORAL FRANCHISE.

(E) BOTH ELECTED AND APPOINTED URBAN COUNCILLORS BECOME MEMBERS OF ONE OR OTHER OF THE TEN URBAN DISTRICT BOARDS, THUS CREATING A LINK BETWEEN THE TWO.

CONFIDENTAL

13.SIN

SINCE

∞