TNAG-1441-FCO40-1925-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 89

(C) THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT IT HAD

ALMOST LOST CONTROL OVER MANY SENSITIVE ISSUES DISCUSSED IN THE

LEGCO, E.G. USE OF THE EXCHANGE FUND TO BAL OUT BANKS IN

FHNANCHAL DIFFICULTY.

THE ARTICLE CONCLUDED THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS IN A

DILEMMA: THE UPPER CLASS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE WOULD BECOME

DISSATISFIED AND UNEASY OVER THE QUICK PACE OF REFORMS, ON THE OTHER

HAND THE GRASSROOT SECTOR WOULD BECOME DISGRUNTELED F REFORMS

WERE HALTED ABRUPTLY.

5. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, MOST HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO

SEE A GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT. THE NUMBER OF EAST ALREADY ALLOCATED

TO THE ELECTORAL COLLEGES AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES SHOULD

NOT BE REDUCED, BUT THERE OUGHT TO BE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THESE

TWO METHODS TO CONSOLIDATE. THERE SHOULD BE FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS

TO MAKE THEM MORE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PUBLIC: THIS WOULD FACHWITATE

THE #INCREASE OF ELECTED MEMBERS IN THE 1988 ELECTION. THE REVIEW

SHOULD THEREFORE CONCENTRATE ON THE STUDY OF THE FUTURE STATUS OF

APPOINTED MEMBERS AND WAYS OF PERFECTING ELECTIONS IN THE ELECTORAL

COLLEGES AND FUNCATIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. A TOO-EARLY MINTRODUCTION

OF DIRECT ELECTION COULD CONVERSELY COMPLICATE THE QUESTION. THE

REVIEW ON DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD PREFERABLY BE CONDUCTED IN 1989

AS ORIGINALLY SUGGESTED IN THE 1984 GREEN PAPER.

6. IN COMMENTING ON DIRECT ELECTIONS, THE ARTICLE SAID THAT THEY

WERE NOT BAD BUT THEIR PROPORTION SHOULD NOT BE TOO HIGH AND

IMPLEMENTATHON SHOULD NOT BE TOO QUICK. HT THEN LISTED THE MERITS

OF DIRECT ELECTIONS AS FOLLOWS :

(A) THEY COULD NURTURE SUFFICIENT TALENTS FOR HK PEOPLE RULING

HK'' AND PROMOTE SENSE OF AUTONOMY:

(B) THEY COULD PROVIDE FAIR COMPETITION AND ADD VITALITY TO HK'S

SYSTEM:

(C) THEY COULD CONFINE THE POLITICAL PLATFORMS OF ANY POLITICAL PARTIES TO WITHIN THE AMBIT ALLOWED FOR 'N THE BASIC LAW AND THE

JOINT DECLARATION. PRESENCE OF HIGHLY POLITICUSED PARTIES LIKE

THE COMMUNIST PARTY OR THE NATIONALIST PARTY WOULD UNDERMINE

STABILITY:

(D) THEY COULD SUPPLEMENT ELECTIONS BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. DIVERSIFIED FORMS OF ELECTION IN HONG KONG WOULD HELP TO ENSURE

THAT THERE WOULD BE NO DRASTIC CHANGES TO THE NATURE AND

DISTRIBUTION OF POLITICAL POWERS, WHICH MIGHT BE THE CASE IF THERE

WERE ONLY ONE TYPE OF ELECTION.

7. FINALLY, THE ARTICLE IDENTIFIED SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR HOLDING

DIRECT ELECTIONS :

RESTERE RESTRICTED