TNAG-1596-FCO40-2181-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 200

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''STAGGERED'' N SUCH A WAY THAT THE ELECTION OF THE MEMBERS BY THE

GEC METHOD WERE HELD SHORTLY AFTER THE ELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BUT ELECTIONS FOR THE OTHER TWO GROUPS OF MEMBERS WERE HELD SAY, TWO YEARS LATER HALF-WAY THROUGH THE TERM OF OFFICE OF

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE. THUS, WHEN A NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE ASSUMED OFFICE, THERE WOULD ALREADY BE A BODY OF EXPERIENCED MEMBERS

N THE LEGISLATURE FROM WHOM HE COULD SELECT SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL ADVISERS TO SAT ON HIS EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, IF THIS SEEMED APPROPRIATE. PROBLEMS MIGHT ARSE, HOWEVER, EN MAINTAINING THIS ANNTER-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VARIOUS TERMS OF OFFICE * FOR

EXAMPLE, THE LEGISLATURE WERE DISSOLVED AND FRESH ELECTIONS CALLED. THUS PONNT WILL NEED TO BE CONSANDERED FURTHER.

THE PRESIDENCY OF THE LEGISLATURE

16.

PAPER OF MAY 1986 CONCLUDED THAT IT MIGHT NOT BE APPROPR- MATE FOR THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE - THE HEAD OF THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES - TO PRESIDE OVER THE LEGISLATURE. MF MT WERE CONCLUDED THAT THE CHIEF EXECUT WE SHOULD NOT BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATURE, THE OPTIONS WOULD SEEM TO BE FOR HIM TO BE REPLACED BY ENTHER :

(A) A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE OR. OTHER PERSON, NOMINATED BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND ENDORSED BY MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE:

(B) A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE ELECTED BY HIS PEERS.

17. WHICHEVER OPTION WERE ADOPTED IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO

ENSURE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL SELECTED ENJOYED THE CONFIDENCE AND RESPECT OF THE MAJORITY OF MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE. IT MIGHT

THEREFORE BE DESHIRABLE TO PROVIDE THAT THE PRESIDENT MUST BE

ENDORSED OR ELECTED WITH THE SUPPORT OF A MENUMUM OF TWO-THIRDS

OR THREE-QUARTERS OF MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE.

18. HIT WOULD ALSO BE NECESSARY TO DECIDE WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE CHANGES TO THE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATURE: FOR EXAMPLE WHETHER CERTAIN POWERS NOW EXERCISED BY THE GOVERNOR AS GOVERNOR, SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE PRESIDENT (PARAGRAPHS 17-19 OF NOTE 1 REFER).

POWERS AND FUNCTIONS

19.

ANNEX N TO THE JOINT DECLARATION PROVIDES, AMONGST OTHER THINGS, THAT :

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