TNAG-1286-FCO40-16372-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong.-Part-2-of-2-1984 — Page 296

GRS 2560 SECRET

FM HONG KONG 17091OZ JUL 84

SECRET

HICK

01113.

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON EVEN IN REGISTRY

1.8 JUL 1984

NEW YORK,

TELEGRAM NUMBER 768 OF 17 JULY

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICES

BRUSSELS AND GENEVA.

HASE

DI

INDEX

No

Ry

FOR HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES.

GREEN PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE

GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.

FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE MADE BY

THE GOVERNOR TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THE AFTERNOON OF 18 JULY

1984

-

BEGINS:-

HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

INTRODUCTION

I HAVE CALLED THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL THIS AFTER- NOON IN ORDER TO ADDRESS YOU ON A SUBJECT WHICH IS OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE TO THE FUTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY. THAT SUBJECT IS THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. A GREEN PAPER, PUBLISHED TODAY, SETS OUT OUR PROPOSALS AND INVITES PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF THEM.

2. THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER ARE THE CULMINATION AT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL OF A PROCESS WHICH STARTED SOME YEARS AGO AS A TENTATIVE EXPERIMENT IN ONE OF OUR NEW TOWNS. FROM A SINGLE ADVISORY BOARD IN TSUEN WAN THERE DEVELOPED A SYSTEM OF DISTRICT BOARDS FOR EACH DISTRICT OF HONG KONG. FOLLOWING PUBLIC- ATION IN 1980 OF THE GREEN PAPER ENTITLED 'A PATTERN OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG', DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE BOARDS WERE INTRODUCED IN 1982. THERE FOLLOWED IN 1983 THE FIRST CONSTITUENCY- BASED ELECTIONS TO THE URBAN COUNCIL, BASED ON THE SAME BROAD FRANCHISE: ALTHOUGH THE URBAN COUNCIL HAD INCLUDED MEMBERS ELECTED ON A MORE RESTRICTED FRANCHISE FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE THAT.

3. IN CONTINUATION OF THIS PROCESS OF STRENGTHENING REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS ON DISTRICT BOARDS WILL BE DOUBLED NEXT YEAR. AT THE SAME TIME A PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL WILL BE ESTABLISHED FOR THOSE AREAS OF HONG KONG NOT ALREADY MANAGED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL. THE YEAR AFTER, IN 1986, ELECTED MEMBERS WILL CONSTITUTE THE MAJORITY OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL.

4. THESE CHANGES BETWEEN NOW AND 1986 WILL COMPLETE THE STRUCTURE

OF GOVERNMENT AT THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL, AND WILL PUT

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROVISION OF SERVICES AND THE MANAGEMENT

OF LOCAL AFFAIRS FIRMLY WITHIN THE CONTROL OF LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE

ORGANISATIONS.

SECRET

15.

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