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13.
as
Method (b) may be favoured by those who wish to see a continuing role for District Boards in the electoral
process, those who favour not more than a cautious step towards direct elections at this stage, or see merit in it
a means of pre-selecting
with candidates
genuine
connections with their constituencies. It will be opposed
by those who favour (a) or see it as giving too great a
role to District Boards. The role of the Boards would be less restrictive under (ii) than under (i). Method (b) may
also be favoured by some as a step on the way to method (a) because they wish to judge the effect of
judge the effect of a direct election system on the community and see what kind of candidates it produces before committing themselves to support for method
(a).
FUTURE OF SEATS NOW HELD BY APPOINTED MEMBERS
14. The present Hong Kong legislature is composed of 56 are indirectly elected by functional
members:
12
constituencies:
12 by electoral colleges: 22 are appointed
and 10 are official members.
15. The Joint Declaration provides that the legislature of
be
Administration Region shall
elections (Annex I, Section I, third
the
Hong Kong
Special
constituted
by
paragraph).
16.
ΝΟ
of problems
convergence
from therefore arise
members of the legislature who are indirectly elected (by
whatever method) or any who
may before 1997 be directly elected. However as para 17 of paper II: the question of convergence handed by sir Geoffrey Howe to Foreign Minister Wu in May noted, if convergence is to be achieved smoothly
and the existing Legislative Council
the future
legislature of the Hong Kong SAR, then some provision will need to be made for the seats now occupied by appointed and
official members.
between
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