TNAG-1726-FCO40-2439-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 136

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It says the way forward, but

sth

leading us to where? And that is why the shadow Foreign Minister in the British Parliament, Mr. Gerald

Kraftman Kiiuifanin

had rightly summarised it in the Parliament thus: For the most part it does little more than tinker with the

status quo.

مت ہیں

Sir, as for the White Paper's proposal to introduce - only ten of the 56 places by way of direct election in 1991, the Times in London has this to say in its editorial on the

11th February this year: The document falls short of political aspirations in the Colony."

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ne direction for the future.

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70,

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Sir, even according the publication 7.

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to the MDR Poll conducted immediately after the White Paper, was published and the same poll having been) referred to by some of my honourable colleagues in this

эрой

chamber as fiv authority to show public support of the White Paper, even that— pell indicated that 40% of the respondents thought that

it

COST

ten seats in 1991 was simply not enough, and 60% of the people

$ polled thought that the amount or the number of elected

to

members should be more than, or at least equal with that of

ん the appointed members in 1991.

= the fovernment has decided

Sir, there is of course a suggestion that the

electoral college system of elections via the pistrict Boards should be abolished. This type of election, Sir, as I said, has its limitations, But up to date, it is more representative than anything else that we have, including the route whereby I have been

was elected into this Council, because each member here coming from that route in effect knows more or less what is happening within his own territory constituency and consisting of

Some of my colleagues in fact

5001500

Lili

· about half a million people.

come from much larger constituencies, of that kind.

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there is always one

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particular matter.

whatever may happen

br 34 my in directly elected Colleagan fin

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So,

in Hong Kong or Kowloon or the New Territories,

in this commal there,

member here who knows very well about that

Certainly under the present system, t

provide a useful constitutional link between the pistrict

ive Comment';

35 Board and the egislature and the system has worked well in the

past three years. But if I be wrong and it be thought that Ket

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