TNAG-1599-FCO40-2192-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 49

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RECEIVED IN SEGISTA. 21 DEC 1987

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INDEX

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

MIPT:

739

064612

MDHIAN 0966

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT:"

WHITE PAPER:

DRAFT CHAPTER III (DIRECT ELECTIONS)

CHAPER III DIRECT ELECTIONS

ARRANGEMENTS FOR REPRESENTATION FROM THE DISTRICTS ALREADY EXIST AT ALL LEVELS OF THE THREE-TIER STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT. AT THE DISTRICT AND REGIONAL LEVELS, THERE ARE DIRECT ELECTIONS BASED ON A UNIVERSAL FRANCHISE: TWO-THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS, IN OVERALL TERMS, ARE DIRECTLY ELECTED SO ARE HALF THE MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND ONE-THIRD OF THE MEMBERS OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL. AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL, DISTRICT REPRESENTATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED SINCE 1985 THROUGH THE ELECTION OF 12 OF THE 56 MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE COMPOSED OF ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND DISTRICT BOARDS. THE GREEN PAPER RAISED THE QUESTION WHETHER THESE ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BE FURTHER DEVELOPED BY PROVIDING FOR A PROPORTION OF MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO BE DIRECTLY ELECTED ON A UNIVERSAL FRANCHISE AND, IF SO, WHEN THIS SHOULD BE DONE.

2. THE SUBJECT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ATTRACTED BY FAR THE GREATEST PUBLIC RESPONSE. 124, 228 SUBMISSIONS, REPRESENTING 137,217 INDIVIDUALS, WERE RECEIVED FROM INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS. THERE WERE 605 SUBMISSIONS FROM GROUPS AND ASSOCIATIONS. 164 PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED, TWO OF WHICH WERE COMMISSIONED BY THE SURVEY OFFICE. 21 SIGNATURE CAMPAIGNS ATTRACTED MORE THAN 200,000 SIGNATURES THE ISSUE WAS ALSO DEBATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND DISCUSSED AT FORMAL MEETINGS OF BOTH MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND ALL DISTRICT BOARDS.

3. THE PUBLIC RESPONSE INDICATED A CLEAR WISH FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF A DIRECTLY ELECTED ELEMENT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BEFORE 1997. THIS WAS ALSO REFLECTED IN THE DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND DISTRICT BOARDS. EVEN ALLOWING FOR THE FACT THAT A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION DID NOT EXPRESS ANY VIEWS, THE OUTCOME OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION HAS CLEARLY SHOWN THAT PUBLIC OPINION AS A WHOLE NOW

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