TNAG-1284-FCO40-1636-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 142

TO ENJOY SUSTAINED PERIODS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INTERNAL STABILITY, MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN, OR LIGHTLY THROWN ASIDE, IN DEVELOPING PLANS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF MORE REPRESENTATIVE

INSTITUTIONS IN HONG KONG.

20. THIS SYSTEM OF CONSULTATION AND CONSENSUS HAS GROWN UP AROUND TWO SEPARATE APPROACHES TO THE QUESTION OF HOW THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE REPRESENTED. TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHARED INTERESTS AMONG THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RECOGNISED - FIRST, THOSE ARISING FROM THEIR PLACE OF RESIDENCE: SECOND, THOSE ARISING FROM THEIR OCCUPATIONS. THESE GROUPINGS CAN BE DESCRIBED AS QUOTE CONSTITUENCIES UNQUOTE - GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.

21. THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES ARE BASED ON INSTITUTIONS

SUCH AS THE UBRAN COUNCIL, THE HEUNG YEE KUK, THE RURAL COMMITTEES AND, MORE RECENTLY, THE DISTRICT BOARDS.

22. THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES ARE BASED ON PEOPLE'S COMMON INTERESTS, SUCH AS COMMERCE, INDUSTRY, LAW, MEDICINE, FINANCE, EDUCATION, TRADE UNIONS, ETC. MANY OF THESE CONSTITUENCIES HAVE A

VERY LONG HISTORY IN HONG KONG.

23. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE RATHER UNIQUE CONSTITUENCIES HAS BEEN ENCOURAGED TO A CONSIDERABLE DEGREE BY THE COMPACT GEORGRAPHICAL

NATURE OF HONG KONG.

24. IT IS FROM THESE GEOGRAPHICAL AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES

THAT THE APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT, IN PARTICULAR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, TRADITIONALLY HAVE BEEN DRAWN. THEY HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY AND ITS MAIN PRE-OCCUPATIONS, AND THEY PROVIDE CONSIDERABLE EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE. MOREOVER, THE SYSTEM HAS EVOLVED STEADILY TO KEEP PACE WITH THE CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG: FOR EXAMPLE,

THE NUMBER OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS DOUBLED DURING THE LAST TEN YEARS, ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR MANY YEARS, AND MORE RECENTLY THREE ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

25. IT IS PROPOSED TO BUILD ON THESE GEOGRAPHICAL AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES IN MOVING FROM THE PRESENT SYSTEM WHEREBY UNOFFICIAL

MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ARE SELECTED AND APPOINTED

BY THE GOVERNOR FROM THESE CONSTITUENCIES TO A SYSTEM OF ELECTIONS

OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM WITHIN THESE CONSTITUENCIES TO THE

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

26. IN THE CASE OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES, IT IS PROPOSED

THAT AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED CONSISTING OF ALL THE

ELECTED AND APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, THE REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS, WHICH WOULD ELECT A SPECIFIED NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. IN THE CASE

SECRET

/OF.