TNAG-1441-FCO40-1925-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 11

Translation

(Press Cutting from Ming Pao Dated 1 August 1986)

Is It Possible to Have ExCo Members Changed to Ministers?

1326/E/86

by Margaret NG

about

Political reforms always take unexpected turns. As China indicated

that it did not welcome the long-debated ministerial system, the Hong Kong

Government is obliged to avoid talking this issue. Meanwhile, in order to

pave the way for the gradual retreat of the official members from the Legislative Council, to avoid the dislocation between the Executive Council

(ExCo) and the Legislative Council (LegCo) and to highlight the fact that

the unofficial and the official members of the ExCo corporately formulate

policy as well as jointly share the responsibility, the Hong Kong Government may have been experimenting a new package so that the unofficial members can become the appointed ministers though not known as ministers.

The Hong Kong Government May Have Been Experimenting New Methods to Turn

the Unofficial Members to Be the Appointed Ministers

The package, which had been published in Ming Pao of 30 July 1986,

is to the effect that the elite in the Leg Co (particularly those who are the

elected members) will be enlisted and appointed by the Governor to be the

ExCo members and chairmen of various advisory committees on important policy

matters. In so doing, each of the members can have specific terms of reference. They can then represent the official side and answer to the questions and criticisms put forth by the LegCo members during the meetings.

The attractiveness of this package to the Hong Kong Government is

that no alteration is to be made to the existing constitutional system and that no party politics will be involved and yet the objective of having

unofficial members as the 'ministers' can be achieved. To high-ranking government officials, the primary function of the ministers is to allow the unofficials to be held accountable to the public in the formulation of

policy so that the civil servants and the administrative Officers will become