TNAG-1446-FCO40-1930-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 31

CONFIDENTIAL

-14-

President.

Alternatively,

on the first occasion, he

might be appointed by the Governor after consulting the

Senior Official Member and the Senior Member.

18.

if a

The President must (like the Speaker of the

House of Commons) be clearly impartial and neutral;

Member, he would have to

to sever associations with interest

groups and his former colleagues in the Legislature, and

take no position on public affairs. Unlike the House of

Commons, partly because of the smaller size of the Hong

Kong Legislative Council, partly because we do not have

political parties and a majority government,

and partly

our way

because of the

by-election or fresh appointment should follow the choice

of a President from among the Legislature

constituencies are made up, a

SO that no

constituency is unrepresented. This would also emphasise

the removal of the President from the political business

of the Legislature.

The President as a Focus of

Political or other Power

19.

The question has been asked whether, when the

Governor is replaced by some other person as President of

CONFIDENTIAL