TNAG-1284-FCO40-1636-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 139

AND

5. AT THE SAME TIME, RECOGNITION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ROLE OF CONSULTATION IN THE ORDERING OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN HONG KONG, A PUBLIC EXPECTATION OF CONSULTATION IN RESPECT BOTH OF SPECIFIC MAJOR ISSUES AND THE GENERALITY OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES, HAVE EMERGED. THE GOVERNMENT HAS ENCOURAGED THIS PROCESS. THIS IN TURN HAS LED TO AN INCREASING NUMBER OF REPHESENTATIONS FROM INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND VARIOUS INTEREST GROUPS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL AS WELL AS THE REGIONAL AND DISTRICT LEVELS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL WILL BE OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE FUTURE.

6. THE PURPOSE OF THIS GREEN PAPER IS TO SUGGEST HOW THE CENTRAL INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG MIGHT BE MADE MORE REPRESENTATIVE IN A WAY WHICH WILL MAKE THE GOVERNMENT MORE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG: AND TO INVITE

PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF AND COMMENT ON THE PROPOSALS SET OUT IN IT.

7. THE MAIN AIMS OF THE PROPOSALS ARE

(A) TO DEVELOP PROGRESSIVELY BETWEEN 1985 AND 1992 A SYSTEM OF

GOVERNMENT THE AUTHORITY FOR WHICH IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN HONG KONG, WHICH IS ABLE TO REPRESENT AUTHORITATIVELY THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND WHICH IS MORE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE

TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG:

(B) TO BUILD THIS SYSTEM ON OUR EXISTING INSTITUTIONS, WHICH HAVE

SERVED HONG KONG WELL, AND, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, TO PRESERVE THEIR BEST FEATURES, INCLUDING THE MAINTENANCE OF THE WELL ESTABLISHED PRACTICE OF GOVERNMENT BY CONSENSUS: AND

(C) TO ALLOW FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IF THAT SHOULD BE THE WISH

OF THE COMMUNITY.

CHAPTER 2 THE PRESENT SYSTEM

8. THE PRESENT CONSTITUTIONAL INSTRUMENTS PROVIDE FOR A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG BASED ON THREE MAIN INSTITUTIONS: THE GOVERNOR, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

9. THE GOVERNOR IS APPOINTED BY THE QUEEN AND IS HER REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG. HE HAS ULTIMATE DIRECTION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG

KONG. HE PRESIDES AT MEETINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND HE IS

PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

-

10. THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CONSISTS OF FOUR EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL - TOGETHER WITH OTHER MEMBERS WHO ARE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR ON THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS. AT PRESENT THERE

ARE TWELVE APPOINTED MEMBERS - TEN UNOFFICAL AND TWO OFFICIAL.

THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ADVISES THE GOVERNOR ON ALL IMPORTANT MATTERS OF POLICY. THUS THE COUNCIL CONSIDERS ALL MAJOR POLICY MATTERS, AND

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