TNAG-1440-FCO40-1924-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 63

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(a) The Power to dissolve the Legislature could

be given to the Chief Executive.

(b) There might otherwise be a provision requiring the Executive to review such policies, and in the event of the Executive deciding to maintain them requiring a vote of confidence in the Legislature. In the event of the Chief Executive failing to obtain a vote of confidence, there is a number of options, for example;

(i) (ii)

there would be a dissolution; or the Consultative College could be called to adjudicate on whether there should be a dissolution, or the Chief Executive called on to resign; ΟΥ

both.

There are undoubtedly other options.

Presidency of the Legislature

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Some provision will need to be made for the Presidency of the Legislature. Given the powers and duties of the Chief Executive under the Joint Declaration, and the fact that he and the Executive authorities are to be accountable to the Legislature, it would not be appropriate for him to preside over it. Provision might therefore be made for the Legislature to select someone from among its own members to preside over its proceedings. If it were decided, in the context of the 1987 Review (see Paper No 2), that the Governor should cease to preside over the Legislative Council no problem of convergence would then arise.

Terms of Office

of

The terms of office of the Chief Executive, members of the Executive Council, and of the Legislature would need to be specified. There could be a case for extending the present term of office of the Legislative Council beyond 3 years.

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There are two possibilities for the term of office of the Chief Executive. This could:

(a) coincide with the term of the office of

the Legislature; or

a date

(b) be staggered to provide for the selection

of the Chief Executive at different from

from that of elections Legislature.

to the

X

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