TNAG-1443-FCO40-1927-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 59

(i)

by

introducing

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24

new members

indirectly elected by

(ii)

6.

functional constituencies and an electoral college:

by reducing the number of government officials from 18 to 10 and the number of other appointed members from 29 to 22.

Under the new system nine functional constituencies return

total of 12 members. They are made up of individuals with

qualifications (eg doctors, lawyers,

recognised professional

engineers) or with specific organisational affiliations (eg chambers of commerce, trades unions) who elect from among their own number. The electoral college consists of twelve constituencies, ten made up of the members of District Boards and one each from the Urban and

Regional Councils. They can elect anyone in Hong Kong who is a registered elector and meets residence qualifications. In fact at present ten seats are filled by District Board members and the other two by a member each from the Urban and Regional Councils.

7.

It was stated in the 1984 White Paper that a review of

progress in the development of

of representative government would be carried out in 1987. Further consideration would then be given to direct elections, and to the position of

to the position of the Governor as President of the Legislative Council. Elections to the Legislative Council

were conducted on the new basis in September 1985. Legislative Council elections will be held in September 1988.

The next

Timetable for the 1987 Review and the Assessment of Public Opinion

8.

It is the announced intention of the Hong Kong Government that the review should be launched with the publication of a Green

Paper no later than

than May 1987. Some four to five months will be allowed for public consultation, and a White Paper setting out the the Legislative Council in

Government's proposals will be put to

November or December 1987.

9.

opinion

Hong

The Hong Kong Government is

can best be assessed after the

now

Kong has a comprehensive system

considering how public

Green Paper is published.

for monitoring opinion

expressed by individuals or the media: but it is also necessary to

CONFIDENTIAL