7
CONFIDENTIAL
The main points in the White Paper are:
(a) Twelve members (rather than six as proposed in the Green Paper) will be elected to the Legislative Council by an electoral college in 1985. Ten will be elected by District Board members, grouped on a geographical basis, and the other two by members of the Urban Council and the proposed new Regional Council.
(b) Similarly, twelve members (instead of six originally proposed in the Green Paper) will be elected in 1985 by 9 functional constituencies representing various sectors of the community (e.g. commerce, industry, education, social services).
(c) The number of appointed members of the Legislative Council will be reduced in 1985 from the present total of 30 to 22 (instead of the 23 proposed in the Green Paper), and the number of official members from the present 16 to 10 (instead of 13 in the Green
Paper).
(d) Thus there will be 24 elected members of the Legislative Council. In total it will have 56 members instead of the present 46 and the 48 originally proposed in the Green Paper.
to a further review of (e) The White Paper contains a commitment
Among the progress towards representative government in 1987. subjects that will be covered in this review are direct elections and the position of the Governor as President of the Legislative
Council.
(f) Other topics to be considered at a later stage will be the method of appointment to the Executive Council, the possible introduction of a ministerial system and the position and role of
the Governor.
5. Elections to the Legislative Council will take place in September 1985. They will be preceded, in March 1985, by elections to the District Boards which for the first time will place elected members in a majority over appointed members.
6.
The proposals in the White Paper have been generally welcomed in Hong Kong. However, there is a vocal minority who continue to press for a firm commitment that direct elections to the Legislative Council should be introduced by 1988.
Hong Kong Department
12 December 1984
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 225Page 226
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