TNAG-1858-FCO40-2633-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 107

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YOUR TELNO 1796: FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE: DEMARCATION OF

CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES FOR 1991 LEGCO ELECTIONS

THE 1988 WHITE PAPER ON DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT STIPULATED THAT, IN 1991, 10 DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS SHOULD BE RETURNED TO LEGCO FROM SINGLE SEAT GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES.

RECENT PROPOSALS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS HAVE REVIVED INTEREST IN THE ISSUE OF ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES, AND WHETHER CONSTITUENCIES SHOULD BE SINGLE OR MULTI SEAT. THIS IS THE REASON FOR THE PRESS SPECULATION TO WHICH YOU REFERRED.

2.

THE SUBJECT WAS DISCUSSED IN A PRELIMINARY WAY AT TWO IN- FORMAL EXCO MEETINGS HELD IN JULY. NO FIRM DECISIONS WERE REACHED. MEMBERS FELT, HOWEVER, THAT CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO INTRODUCING LARGER MULTI-SEAT CONSTITUENCIES, WHICH COULD RESULT IN ELECTIONS BEING CONTESTED ON THE BASIS OF QUOTE NATIONAL UNQUOTE RATHER THAN PAROCHIAL ISSUES. THIS MIGHT ATTRACT BETTER QUALIFIED CANDIDATES.

3. WE ARE PRESENTLY CONSIDERING THE RELATIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SINGLE SEAT AND MULTI SEAT CONSTITUENCIES AND WILL SOON REVERT TO EXCO ON THE SUBJECT.

WILSON

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MR GILLMORE

MR MCLAREN

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