TNAG-1598-FCO40-2191-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 94

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Sue

HKB 011/2

SECRET

15 DEC 1987

FROM

CO Hum

PS/Lord Glenarthur

011/20

678

Hong Kong Department

10 December 1987

DATE

CC: PS

Mr Gillmore

REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: DISTRICT BOARD AND MUNICIPAL

COUNCILS

Problem

1.

District Board elections will be held in Hong Kong on

10 March 1988. By law nominations must be open from 1-15 January.

The Hong Kong Government propose to announce on 17 December arrangements for the elections, including:

흐프

the number of seats;

the Government's intention to retain the present ratio of two

elected members to one appointed member;

(a)

(b)

(c)

the Government's proposal that Urban Council members should cease to sit on District Boards in 1989; and

(a)

the Government's proposal that dual membership of District Boards and the Urban Council should in future be permitted.

Points (b) and (c) are decisions on matters raised in the Green Paper on representative government, and point (d) flows from these

decisions.

Recommendation

2.

I recommend that we accept the Hong Kong Government proposal, although this involves anticipating the White Paper on certain

minor,

points.

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