G.F. 316
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Note 2
The Composition of the Legislature: Future of seats now held by Appointed and Official Members
The present Hong Kong Legislature is composed of 56 members: 12 are indirectly elected by functional constituencies: 12 by electoral colleges: 22 are appointed and 10 are official members.
2.
The Joint Declaration provides that the Legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be constituted by elections (Annex 1, Section 1, third paragraph).
3.
(by
No problems of convergence therefore arise from members of the Legislature who are indirectly elected whatever method) or any who may before 1997 be directly elected. However, paragraph 17 of Paper II: The Question of Convergence, handed by Sir Geoffrey Howe to Foreign Minister Wu Xueqian in May, noted that if convergence is to be achieved smoothly between the existing Legislative Council and the future legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, then some provision will need to be made for the seats now occupied by appointed and official members.
4.
Until September 1985, all members of the Hong Kong Legislature were apointed by the Governor.
They were selected to represent important sectors of Hong Kong society. The system of appointment was continued after that date to provide for continuity in the Legislature and to enable Hong Kong to benefit from the services of people who either do not have the time, because of other business commitments, or would not be willing to become involved in seeking membership through an electoral process. There have been suggestions that appointed members should continue indefinitely (see 1984 White Paper, paragraph 19).
5.
The 10 official members present Government proposals and draft legislation to the Council, account to the Legislature on behalf of the Government for Government policies, and answer questions on those policies.
6.
As regards the future, one solution which has been suggested is that all appointed members should be withdrawn from the Legislature on a gradual basis. This would mean that after 1997, membership of the Legislature would be confined to members chosen by indirect election (whether by electoral colleges, by functional constituencies or by other means) and any members chosen by direct election. As regards officials, neither the Chief Executive nor his principal officials would be
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