TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 56

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addition of a further four seats in the Legislative Council

bringing the total number of electoral college members to 25

compared with the present 12.

32.

The above options suggest that, while

that, while it would

undoubtedly be possible to improve the

the electoral college

system to eliminate some of the practical problems which

have emerged, it might be necessary in so doing, to increase

substantially the number of electoral college seats in the

Legislative Council. Even if these additional seats could

be absorbed, perhaps through a further increase in the

'overall size of the Council, they would significantly alter

the balance of membership in the Council as a whole. The

electoral college would still be open to the criticism that

it placed too much control in the hands of District Board

members as to whom should be elected to the Legislative

Council, and that it did not provide a means for the

majority of people in the community, who are not eligible to

vote in functional constituencies, to participate directly

in the selection of members of the Legislative Council.

33.

For these reasons it may be felt that other

approaches to providing for a system of geographically-based

representation should be tested, either in addition to or as

alternative to electoral college. Such alternatives

an

might

nevertheless allow for the retention of the two

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