TNAG-1596-FCO40-2181-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 233

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E)

F)

OF THIS CLEAR EXPRESSION OF PREFERENCE). WE MUST OF

COURSE AVOID TOO OVERT AN INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN OUR

ADVOCACY OF OPTION (C) AND OUR RATHER TENTATIVE

PRESENTATION OF THE GEC CONCEPT ELSEWHERE IN THE PAPERS. ARISING FROM D) ABOVE, WE THINK THAT PARA 4 SHOULD

MAKE AT LEAST A PERFUNCTORY REFERENCE TO OPTIONS (A)

AND (B) BEFORE FOCUSING ON OPTION (C). WE SUGGEST

SOMETHING ON THE FOLLOW:

WING LINES:

QUOTE 4. WHICHEVER OPTION IS SELECTED, IT WILL BE

NECESSARY TO GIVE CONSIDERATION TO THE NATURE OF THE

MAJORITY REQUIRED (EG SHOULD IT BE A SIMPLE MAJORITY OR A

PARTICULAR PROPORTION OF THE ELECTORAL BODY) AND TO THE

MACHINERY FOR SUBMITTING THE ELECTED CANDIDATE FOR

APPOINTMENT BY THE CPG.

4A. IF THE OPTION OF THE DIRECT ELECTION OF A CHIEF

EXECUTIVE WERE ADOPTED, THE RELATIONSHIP AND TIMING OF SUCH ELECTIONS TO ELECTIONS (WHETHER DIRECT OR OTHERWISE)

TO THE LEGISLATURE WOULD BE AMONG THE PROBLEMS TO BE

CONSIDERED.

IF THE

LEGISLATURE WERE TO CONSTITUTE THE ELECTORAL BODY, IT

WOULD PROBABLY BE NECESSARY TO EXCLUDE MEMBERS WHO ARE

OFFICIALS.

4B.

IF A QUOTE GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE UNQUOTE

(GEC) WERE TO CONSTITUTE THE ELECTORAL BODY, IT MIGHT BE

PRUDENT TO ADOPT A PROCEDURE FOR NOMINATIONS AND FOR THE

SELECTION OF A SHORT LIST OF CANDIDATES.... UNQUOTE.

IN YOUR SUBSEQENT

EXAMINATION OF POSSIBLE NOMINATION SYSTEMS

(EXCO'S COMMENT (B)) WE SUGGEST THAT IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE

TO AVOID TOO MUCH DETAIL AT THIS STAGE. WE ALSO WONDER

WHETHER IT IS WISE TO EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY THAT AN

ACCEPTABLE CANDIDATE MIGHT EMERGE AS A RESULT OF A

PROCESS OF CONSULTATION RATHER THAN FORMAL ELECTION.

ON YOUR PARAS 5 AND 6, HAVING THOUGHT FURTHER ABOUT THE

QUESTION OF TERMS OF OFFICE WE ARE INCLINED TO FEEL THAT

THERE WOULD BE ADVANTAGE IN OUR AIMING FOR THE TERMS OF

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