TNAG-1284-FCO40-1636-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 44

GR 7000

SECRET

FUTURE EGRET

FM HONG KONG 21073OZ JUN 84

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01113

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HEE

21 JLNGA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1669 OF 21 JUNE

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

MIPT: FUTURE EGRET: CONSITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNMENT

STRUCTURE.

FOLLOWING IS GREEN PAPER

1. Ль

THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1. IN THE INTRODUCTION TO THE GREEN PAPER ENTITLED A PATTERN OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG'' WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN JUNE 1980, IT WAS STATED THAT THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS, THE CENTRAL ORGANS OF GOVERNMENT, HAVE EVOLVED, AND WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AS CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE, WITHIN THE EMPERATIVES OF STABILITY AND DEPENDABILITY WHICH THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG DICTATE. THIS GREEN PAPER FOLLOWS FROM AND DEVELOPS

ON THAT STATEMENT.

2. DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS, SEVERAL STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG AT THE REGIONAL AND DISTRICT LEVELS. IN 1973, THE URBAN COUNCIL WAS RECONSTITUTED AS A FINANCIALLY AUTONOMOUS BODY: THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS WITHDREW FROM THE COUNCIL AND ITS UNOFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP WAS INCREASED TO 24, HALF OF THEM DIRECTLY ELECTED ON A LIMITED

FRANCHISE. 1932 SAW THE FIRST DIRECT ELECTIONS TO DISTRICT BOARDS

BASED ON A VERY BROAD FRANCHISE. IN 1993, THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE

URBAN COUNCIL WAS FURTHER INCREASED TO 30, HALF OF WHOM ARE NOW

ELECTED FROM DISTRICT CONSTITUENCIES ON THE SAME BROAD FRANCHISE

AS FOR DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.

3. FOR MANY YEARS MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL HAVE BEEN APPOINTED

BY THE GOVERNOR TO SIT ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND RECENTLY SOME ELECTED DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALSO BEEN APPOINTED TO THE

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THIS PROCESS WILL CONTINUE.

4. IN MAY THIS YEAR PLANS WERE ANNOUNCED TO DEVELOP FURTHER THE

REPRESENTATIVE STATUS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS BY DOUBLING THE NUMBER

OF ELECTED MEMBERS IN 1985, AND TO ESTABLISH IN 1986 A NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL, WITH A SUBSTANTIAL ELECTED ELEMENT IN ITS MEMBERSHIP, TO COVER THOSE AREAS OF THE TERRITORY NOT ALREADY COVERED BY THE URBAN

COUNCIL.

5. AT THE SAME TIME, RECOGNITION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ROLE

OF CONSULTATION IN THE ORDERING OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN HONG KONG, AND A PUBLIC EXPECTATION OF CONSULTATION IN RESPECT 30TH OF SPECIFIC

MAJOR ISSUES AND THE GENERALITY OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES

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