15. (FOLLOWING WORD UNDERLINED) FOURTHLY, THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WILL BE REDUCED TO 22 IN -1985, INSTEAD OF 23 AS WAS PROPOSED IN THE GREEN PAPER.
16. (FOLLOWING WORD UNDERLINED) FIFTHLY, IT IS INTENDED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS TO 10, INCLUDING THE THREE EX- OFFICIO MEMBERS, IN 1985.
17. THE OVERALL RESULT WILL THEREFORE BE TO INCREASE THE TOTAL
OF WHOM MEMBERSHIP OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1985 TO 56, 24 WILL BE ELECTED UNOFFICIALS, 22 WILL BE APPOINTED UNOFFICIALS AND 10 WILL BE OFFICIALS.
REVIEW
18. IT WAS PROPOSED IN THE GREEN PAPER THAT THERE SHOULD BE A GENERAL REVIEW IN 1989, AFTER THE 1988 ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAD TAKEN PLACE, WITH A VIEW TO DECIDING WHAT FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS SHOULD BE PURSUED.
19. IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS HAS BROUGHT FORWARD TO 1985 SOME OF THE ARRANGEMENTS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED FOR 1988: AND THAT THERE REMAINS A CASE FOR ALLOWING THESE ARRANGEMENTS TO BE TESTED OVER AT LEAST TWO ELECTIONS BEFORE THEY ARE REVIEWED. CERTAINLY WE DO NOT WISH TO RISK THE INSTABILITY WHICH COULD BE CAUSED BY DISRUPTIVE CHANGE. BUT THERE WAS STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE IDEA OF A REVIEW, BUT ALSO A WIDELY EXPRESSED FEELING THAT IT SHOULD BE HELD BEFORE THE ELECTIONS SCHEDULED FOR 1988. IT IS ALSO EVIDENT THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM MUST BE DEVELOPED PROGRESSIVELY OVER THE YEARS TO COME: AND THERE WILL BE A NEED BEFORE THE 1988 ELECTIONS TO CONSIDER FURTHER NOT ONLY THE QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS BUT OTHER ISSUES RAISED IN THE GREEN PAPER IN THE LIGHT OF THE PRO- VISIONS OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. GIVEN THESE DEVELOPENTS AND PUBLIC FEELING ON THE ISSUE, THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO HOLD A GENERAL REVIEW IN 1987. THIS WILL ASSESS PROGRESS, AND RECOMMEND WHAT FURTHER MEASURES SHOULD BE PURSUED IN THE FUTURE.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
20. AS REGARDS THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, IT WAS PROPOSED IN THE GREEN PAPER THAT THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD, IN DUE COURSE, ELECT THE MAJORITY OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS FROM AMONG THEIR OWN NUMBER. THERE WAS SOME SUPPORT FOR THE ARRANGEMENTS PROPOSED: OTHERS, HOWEVER, CONSIDERED THAT A FUTURE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHOULD BE FREE TO SELECT HIS OWN EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL.
MINISTERIAL SYSTEM
21. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE POSSIPILITY OF INTRODUCING A MINISTERIAL SYSTEM. MANY PEOPLE
dif
CONFIDENTAL
/EXPRESSED
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