TNAG-1351-FCO40-1792-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 153

PUBLIC REACTION TO THE WHITE PAPER

16. PUBLIC REACTION TO THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS ANNOUNCED IN THE WHITE PAPER HAS BEEN GENERALLY FAVOURABLE, AS EVIDENCED BY REPORTS IN THE MEDIA AND COMMENTS MADE BY MANY MEMBERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS AND SOME MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CLAIMS FOR REPRESENTATION THROUGH ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, FROM SUCH ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS AS THE HEUNG YEE KUK, THE HONG KONG SOCIETY OF ACCOUNTANTS, RELIGIOUS BODIES, THE MEDIA, SOCIAL WORKERS, CIVIL SERVANTS AND ETHNIC MINORITIES. THESE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERED BUT, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO ACCEPT THEM AT ANY RATE AT

THIS STAGE.

17. THERE CLEARLY HAS TO BE SOME LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WHICH CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO START WITH. MOREOVER, HAVING REGARD TO THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS WHOLE EXERCISE, A CAREFUL BALANCE HAS TO BE STRUCK BETWEEN THE VARIOUS COMPONENT ELEMENTS - ELECTED, APPOINTED,

OFFICIAL

-

THAT WILL MAKE UP THE NEW COUNCIL. THIS IS NOT TO

SAY THAT THE CLAIMS OF THESE ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS ARE WITHOUT MERIT, OR THAT THEY ARE UNIMPORTANT, LET ALONE THAT THE IR CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY IS NOT RECOGNISED. THE INTERESTS OF SOME OF THESE ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS WILL NO DOUBT BE REFLECTED THROUGH UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE OR APPOINTED BY YOU, SIR. IN ANY CASE, THE REVIEW IN 1987 WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER WHETHER ANY ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES SHOULD BE

ESTABLISHED.

18. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SOME RENEWED DEMANDS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN GENERAL ACCEPTANCE THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD NOT BE INTRODUCED IMMEDIATELY. I SHOULD MAKE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT, ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CONSIDER THAT IT WOULD BE EITHER TIMELY OR WISE TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS JUST NOW, IT DOES NOT OBJECT TO THEM IN PRINCIPLE. THE TIME FOR THEM MAY COME, BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL NOT TO PUT AT RISK THE HARMONY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG BY INTRODUCING TOO MANY MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS TOO RAPIDLY, NOR TO OVERLOAD THE SYSTEM WITH TOO MANY CHANGES SIMULTANEOUSLY.

CONSULTATIONS WITH ORGANISATIONS

19. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNDERTAKING GIVEN IN THE WHITE PAPER, A SERIES OF MEETINGS HAS BEEN HELD DURING THE PAST SIX WEEKS OR SO WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE ORGANISATIONS ON WHICH THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WILL BE BASED, IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE LEGISLATION AND THE PROCEDURES WHICH WILL BE INTRODUCED FOR CONDUCTING THE ELECTIONS IN SEPTEMBER NEXT. VARIOUS POINTS HAVE BEEN RAISED BY THESE ORGANISATIONS WHICH WILL BE GIVEN CAREFUL

CONSIDERATION.

LEGISLATION

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CONFIDENTIAL

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