TNAG-1439-FCO40-1923-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 151

(B) THE GOVERNOR: THE GENERAL POSITION OF THE GOVERNOR.

(PARA 46(K))

5. THE 1984 WHITE PAPER DEALT WITH GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL N HONG KONG. A NUMBER OF OTHER MATTERS ARE LIKELY TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 1987 REVIEW, EITHER FOR ORGANISATIONAL REASONS, OR BECAUSE THEY ARE ALREADY BEING PUBLICLY DISCUSSED SEMITOLON FOR EXAMPLE:

(A) {IMPROVING THE LINKS BETWEEN THE URBAN COUNCIL AND URBAN

DISTRICT BOARDS SEMICOLON THAT IS, WHETHER DB REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD BE ELECTED TO THE COUNCIL RATHER THAN COUNCIL MEMBERS

BE ALLOCATED TO THE BOARDS (IN THE REGIONAL COUNCIL THE FORMER

METHOD ALREADY APPLIES) SEMICOLON

(B) THE POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF DISTRICT BOARDS SEMICOLON

(C) THE TIMING OF DISTRICT BOARD, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND URBAN

COUNCIL/REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS, WHICH AT PRESENT TAKE PLACE

IN THAT ORDER WITHIN A SPACE OF TWELVE MONTHS, AND ARE DUE

AGAIN BETWEEN MARCH 1988 AND MARCH 1989 SEMICOLON

(D) THE REDUCTION OF THE VOTING AGE FROM TWENTY-ONE TO EIGHTEEN

YEARS.

ASSESSMENT OF PRESENT OPINION

THE GOVERNOR

1524 115877

6. IT WAS STATED IN THE/WHITE PAPER THAT THE GOVERNOR WILL CONTINUE TO BE APPOINTED FORMALLY BY THE QUEEN UNTIL 1997 AND THERE WAS STRONG PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THIS ANY PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE

IN THE POSITION AND ROLE OF THE GOVERNOR WOULD NEED TO TAKE INTO

ACCOUNT THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATHON AND IT WAS STATED

THAT THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES WOULD BE CONSIDERED AT A LATER STAGE.

THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE COMMENT IN HONG KONG ON THE POSITION OF

THE GOVERNOR IN GENERAL, EXCEPT AS PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND HIS POSITION IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE RAISED EXCEPT

IN THAT CONTEXT.

THE GOVERNOR AS PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

7. IT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED (N THE GREEN PAPER OF JULY 1984) THAT

THE GOVERNOR SHOULD BE REPLACED, IN DUE COURSE, BY A PRESIDING

OFFICER ELECTED BY THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE

COUNCIL FROM AMONG THEIR OWN NUMBER. SUCH A CHANGE COULD BE

INTRODUCED PROGRESSIVELY IN TWO STAGES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRST PRESIDING OFFICER MIGHT BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AFTER

CONSULTATION WITH THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE

COUNCIL, BUT THEREAFTER THE PRESIDING OFFICER MIGHT BE ELECTED BY

THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EVERY 3 YEARS. N THE WHITE

PAPER HIT WAS NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE PROPOSAL TO REPLACE THE

GOVERNOR AS PRESIDING OFFICER WAS, ON THE WHOLE, REASONABLY WELL

RECEN VED THE GENERAL VIEW WAS IN FAVOUR OF MAKING NO SIGNIFICANT

CHANGE IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.

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