TNAG-1596-FCO40-2181-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 262

BEING OF THE COMMUNITY SEMICOLON

(B)

(C)

5.

DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS WOULD PROVIDE A BALANCED GEOGRAPHICAL

AL REPRESENTATION OF THE VIEWS OF ORDINARY CITIZENS SEMICOLON

ON A GEOGRAPHICAL BASIS

MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE GEC WOULD INCLUDE SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S COUNCIL, AND OTHERS WHO COULD BE CHOSEN TO FILL ANY GAPS IN REPRESENTATION ARISING FROM THE OTHER METHODS OF ELECTION, THUS ENSURING THAT THE LEGISLATURE CONTINUED TO BENEFIT FROM THE WIDEST POSSIBLE RANGE OF TALENTS AND EXPERIENCE.

HONG KONG ALREADY HAS EXPERIENCE OF THE FIRST TYPE OF ELECTION BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. IN ORDER TO FACILITATE A SMOOTH TRANSITION OF GOVERNMENT, THE OTHER TWO TYPES OF ELECTIONS COULD BE INTRODUCED AT SOME STAGE BETWEEN NOW AND 1997.

5.

IT WOULD BE FOR CONSIDERATION WHETHER THE THREE GROUPS OF ELECTED MEMBERS SHOULD BE IN ROUGHLY EQUAL PROPORTIONS, OR WHETHER

AS SUGGESTED IN THE ONE GROUP SHOULD BE IN THE MAJORITY.

COVERING PAPER TO THE NOTES HANDED OVER IN OCTOBER 1986, IT WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE DESIRABLE FOR THE BASIC LAW TO ATTEMPT TO PRESCRIBE THE EXACT NUMBER OF MEMBERS TO BE ELECTED IN EACH CATEGORY, OR TO SET AN ABSOLUTE LIMIT ON THE TOTAL SIZE OF THE LEGISLATURE, ALTHOUGH IT COULD LAY DOWN THE MINIMUM AND/OR MAXIMUM PROPORTION OF SEATS TO BE FILLED BY EACH GROUP. SUCH AN APPROACH WOULD ALLOW FLEXIBILITY FOR FURTHER ADJUSTMENT TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATURE DURING THE 50 YEARS FOLLOWING 1997 IF CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES RENDERED THIS APPROPRIATE.

THE FUTURE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

7.

PARAGRAPHS 14 AND 15 OF NOTE 2 IN THIS SERIES REFERRED TO THE IMPORTANT ROLE PLAYED BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN THE WORKINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE, AND TO THE NEED TO CONSIDER HOW THIS CAN BE MAINTAINED. IN THE INTERESTS OF ENSURING THE EFFICIENT CONDUCT OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS, IT WOULD SEEM DESIRABLE FOR :

(A) KEY OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE CHIEF

EXECUTIVE'S COUNCIL, TO BE AMONGST THE GROUP OF MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE ELECTED BY THE GEC SEMICOLON AND

(B)

OTHER SENIOR OFFICIALS TO BE IN ATTENDACE AT MEETINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE (AND ITS COMMITTEES AND SUB-COMMITTEES), AS REQUIRED, TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

POWERS AND FUNCTIONS

3.

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

(A)

THE LEGISLATIVE POWER OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION SHALL BE VESTED IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION.

IF COMPOSITION

ON THE

ABOVE LINE

IS TO PE ACHIEVED

THE /LEGISLATURE

A