TNAG-1286-FCO40-16372-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong.-Part-2-of-2-1984 — Page 297

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5. THE INTRODUCTION OF ELECTIONS ON A BROAD FRANCHISE HAS BEEN A SUBSTANTIAL STEP FORWARD FOR HONG KONG. IT HAS ENABLED ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO VOICE THEIR VIEWS ON GOVERNMENT POLICIES, PROGRAMMES AND PERFORMANCE AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, AND, IN THE SHORT PERIOD OF THEIR EXISTENCE, THE BOARDS HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIFE OF HONG KONG. THERE IS ALREADY A CLOSE LINK BETWEEN THE BOARDS AND THE URBAN COUNCIL, AND SIMILAR LINKS WILL BE ESTABLISHED WITH THE NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL. AT THE HIGHER LEVEL MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND MORE RECENTLY MEMBERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE ALSO BEEN APPOINTED TO THE COUNCIL. WE NOW NEED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP WHICH IS TO CONSIDER NOT ONLY THE COMPOSITION OF THE TWO CENTRAL COUNCILS, BUT THE METHOD OF SELECTING

THEIR MEMBERS.

6. THIS IS THE OBJECT OF THE GREEN PAPER. THE AIMS OF THE PROPOSALS

CONTAINED IN IT ARE THESE:

FIRST, TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHICH IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN OUR COMMUNITY: ON WHICH THE VIEWS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE FULLY REPRESENTED: AND WHICH IS MORE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE

PEOPLE OF HONG KONG:

SECONDLY, TO DEVELOP THIS SYSTEM PROGRESSIVELY, BUILDING ON OUR EXISTING INSTITUTIONS, AND ON OUR WELL-ESTABLISHED PRACTICE OF

GOVERNMENT BY CONSENSUS: AND

THIRDLY, TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR PROPOSALS TO BE TESTED AGAINST THE EXPERIENCE WE GAIN IN IMPLEMENTING THEM: TO THIS END IT IS PROPOSED TO REVIEW THE POSITION IN 1989 BEFORE DECIDING THE DIRECTION AND TIMING OF ANY FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.

7. OUR PRESENT SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT OPERATES ON THE BASIS OF

CONSULTATION AND CONSENSUS. THIS UNIQUE SYSTEM HAS DEVELOPED

AROUND THE REPRESENTATION OF THE VIEWS OF THE COMMUNITY IN TWO

WAYS: THROUGH THE REPRESENTATION ON THE ONE HAND OF REGIONAL AND

DISTRICT INTERESTS, BASED ON INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS THE URBAN COUNCIL,

THE HEUNG YEE KUK AND DISTRICT BOARDS: AND ON THE OTHER, THE REP-

RESENTATION OF OCCUPATIONAL INTERESTS, SUCH AS COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, LAW, EDUCATION, MEDICINE AND SOCIAL SERVICES, ALL OF WHICH PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC LIFE.

8. THESE TWO PARALLEL APPROACHES TO REPRESENTATION HAVE HAD A STRONG INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

AND ALSO ON THE POLICIES OF THE GOVERNMENT. BECAUSE IT ALLOWS TIME, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR DEBATE AND DISSENT, THE PROCESS OF SYNTHESISING THE VIEWS OF THESE GEOGRAPHICAL AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES IS OFTEN DIFFICULT AND PROLONGED: BUT IN THE END

IT ALMOST ALWAYS RESULTS IN A POLICY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMMUNITY

AS A WHOLE..

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19.