TNAG-1438-FCO40-1922-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 119

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The second major change is : Under the original constitution,

the chief executive is the centre of power and decision maker. Department heads are appointed by the Governor and are accountable

to him. The Legislative Council is merely a legislative organ and

an advisory body whose function is to seek explanations. (In actual fact, according to the legislative procedure, the Executive Council is responsible for drafting legislation while the Legislative Council acts as a rubber-stamp to endorse it.) However, with the passage of the Legislative Council Powers and Privileges Bill 1985, an

intrinsic change has taken place within Hong Kong's government

structure and the Legislative Council is gradually becoming a policy-

making body. When the Governor is no longer chairman of the

Legislative Council and with the introduction of the ministerial

and committee systems, the centre of power will be shifted to the Legislative Council. Furthermore, it was disclosed by top government

officials that all senior officers at the Secretary level will, in

future, have to be accountable to the Legislative Council and the

appointment of such officers will have to be made by the chief executive upon the recommendation of the Legislative Council. The

Governor will, like the Queen, merely play the role of a rubber-

stamp in questions of appointment.

Britain has not completed these arrangement yet, but the pace

of constitutional reforms has greatly accelerated to a point of

impatience. Senior government officials stressed when talking to

reporters, "A review of the representative system will be conducted

in 1987. Matters which will come under study are the relation between

the Legislative Council and Executive Council, the role of the

Governor and the definition of the powers of committees". This implies that a decisive step will be taken in 1987 on constitutional

matters.