TNAG-1317-FCO40-1720-Future-of-Hong-Kong-meetings-of-the-Cabinet-Defence-and-Over-1984 — Page 101

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 1958. 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 PEP- 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

SY EACH FUNCTIONAL. CONSTITUENCY WOULD VARY ACCORDING TO ITS SIZE AND

SIGNIFICANCE.

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