TNAG-1351-FCO40-1792-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 161

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13. THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE IS TO ENSURE THAT A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

IS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED DURING THE NEXT TWELVE YEARS WHICH WILL

SAFE-GUARD THE ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF OUR PRESENT SOCIETY AND WHICH

WILL ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR HONG KONG FROM ITS PRESENT STATUS

AS A BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY TO THAT OF A SPECIAL

ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF CHINA, WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY.

14. IN PREPARING THE PLANS STATED IN THE WHITE PAPER THE PROVISIONS OF THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, WHICH PROVIDE, (NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED) INTER ALIA, FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATURE OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION TO BE CONSTITUTED BY ELECTIONS, HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

PUBLIC REACTION TO THE WHITE PAPER

15. 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 THE 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 THIS STAGE.

K

16. 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, A CAREFUL BALANCE HAS TO BOE 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. BUT, THE REVIEW IN 1987 WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER WHETHER ANY ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES SHOULD BE

ESTABLISHED.

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