TNAG-1284-FCO40-1636-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 52

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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36. IN THE CASE OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES (NEXT THREE

WORDS UNDERLINED) IT IS PROPOSED THAT AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE SHOULD

BE FORMED CONSISTING OF ALL THE ELECTED AND, TO START WITH, ALL

THE APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS, THE URBAN COUNCIL AND

THE NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL. IT WOULD THUS NUMBER IN THE REGION OF

430 MEMBERS. THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD ELECT A SPECIFIED NUMBER

OF REPRESENTATIVES TO BE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE

ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD BE ABLE TO ELECT ANYONE WITH CERTAIN

PRESCRIBED QUALIFICATIONS, E.G. ANY REGISTERED ELECTOR WHO HAS BEEN ORDINARILY RESIDENT IN HONG KONG FOR A MINIMUM OF 10 YEARS, (WHICH

ARE THE SAME BASIC QUALIFICATIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR THE URBAN

COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS) AND NOT NECESSARILY FROM AMONG

THEIR NUMBER. THESE ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BE INTRODUCED PROGRESSIVELY

WITH A VIEW TO A TOTAL OF 12 MEMBERS BEING ELECTED BY THE ELECTORAL

COLLEGE BY 1988.

37. IN THE CASE OF THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES (NEXT THREE

WORDS UNDERLINED) IT IS PROPOSED THAT THE PRESENT INFORMAL SYSTEM

OF SELECTING MEMBERS FROM A WIDE RANGE OF SUCH CONSTITUENCIES,

WHICH HAS GROWN UP OVER MANY YEARS AND HAS PROVIDED MUCH SPECIALIST

KNOWLEDGE AND VALUABLE EXPERTISE, SHOULD BE DEVELOPED INTO A

MORE FORMAL REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM BY THE INTRODUCTION OF

APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ELECTION BY EACH OF THESE

FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES OF ONE OR MORE REPRESENTATIVES TO SERVE

ON THE LEGS ISLATIVE COUNCIL. FOR EXAMPLE, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION MIGHT BE ELECTED JOINTLY BY THE MEMBERS OF

THE BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE LAW SOCIETY: AND THE PRESENT SYSTEM

OF ELECTING TRADES UNION REPRESENTATIVES TO THE LABOUR ADVISORY

BOARD MIGHT ALSO BE USED TO ELECT THE REPRESENTATIVES OF LABOUR

ORGANISATIONS. THE MAIN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIAL

ORGANISATIONS MIGHT ELECT THE REPRESENTATIVES OF COMMERCE AND

INDUSTRY. HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO QUALIFY AS AN ELECTOR IN ANY OF THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO BE A REGISTERED ELECTOR ON THE GENERAL ELECTORAL ROLL. THESE ARRANGEMENTS WOULD ALSO BE INTRODUCED PREOGRESSIVELY WITH A VIEW TO A TOTAL OF 12

MEMBERS BEING ELECTED BY THE FUNCTNONAL CONSTITUENCIES BY 1988.

38. ALL THOSE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES FROM WHICH MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ARE DRAWN AT PRESENT, E.G., COMMERCE, INDUSTRY, THE MEDICAL PROFESSION, THE LEGAL PROFESSION, EDUCATIONAL INSTITU-

TIONS, THE FINANCIAL SECTOR AND LABOUR ORGANISATIONS, WOULD BE REP- RESENTED ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THERE MAY ALSO BE SOME OTHER

FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WHICH SHOULD BE REPRESENTED ON THE COUNCIL

IF THEY COVER A SUFFICIENTLY LARGE AND IMPORTANT SECTOR OF THE

COMMUNITY TO JUSTIFY INCLUSION, E.G. TRADITIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND

OTHER MAJOR PROFESSIONS. THE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES TO BE ELECTED

BY EACH FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY WOULD VARY ACCORDING TO ITS SIZE AND

SIGNIFICANCE.

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