TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 62

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44.

A basic question therefore is whether the

aims set out in paragraph 39 can be achieved by further

development of the existing systems of representation,

including those for providing

Legislative Council; or whether

methods of representation are needed.

members of the

other additional

Timing of Introduction of Direct Elections

45.

If it

transpires that there is, in

The

principle, support for the introduction of a system of

direct elections to the Legislative Council, either in

addition or as an alternative to one or more of the

other present systems for selecting members, the next

issue to be considered is whether a number of directly

elected members should be introduced in 1988.

advocates of direct elections argue that, if a stable

and efficient system of representative government is to

be firmly in place by 1997, then the process of

introducing directly elected members into the

Legislative Council should begin with a small

proportion of seats being filled

being filled in this way in 1988.

On the other hand, the present systems for the election

members to the Council have been in place for

less than two years and it is too early, in the opinion

of

of some, to evaluate

far less to

them definitively, far

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