TNAG-1351-FCO40-1792-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 162

CONFIDENTIAL

17. 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

18. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNDERTAKING GIVEN IN THE WHITE

PAPER, A SERIES OF MEETINGS HAS BEEN HELD DURING THE PAST MONTH

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

19. AS STATED IN THE WHITE PAPER, THE ELECTORAL LEGISLATION IS

BEING DRAFTED, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, ALONG THE LINES OF THE EXISTING ELECTORAL PROVISIONS ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS PROVED TO BE GENERALLY

ADEQUATE FOR THE CONDUCT OF DISTRICT BOARD AND URBAN COUNCIL

ELECTIONS. THE LEGISLATION NOW BEING DRAFTED WILL COVER SUCH MATTERS

AS THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A VOTER, THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A CANDIDATE, THE METHODS BY WHICH THE ELECTORAL ROLLS FOR THE VARIOUS

CONSTITUENCIES WILL BE DRAWN UP AND THE PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING

THE ELECTIONS. IT WILL ALSO LAY DOWN THE DETAILED COMPOSITION OF

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.

20. THE ELECTIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, IN

SIMILAR FASHION TO THAT IN WHICH THE DISTRICT BOARD AND URBAN

COUNCIL ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED ALREADY: AND, OF COURSE, VOTING

WILL BE BY SECRET BALLOT.

5

CONFIDENTIAL

/CONCLUSION

"