TNAG-2011-FCO40-2863-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-composition-of-the-d-1990 — Page 3

The case for change

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In response to the demand from the community for a quicker pace of political development, Government has committed itself publicly to a review of the decisions contained in the 1988 White Paper in respect of the composition of the 1991 legislature. It would be logical to extend this review to the other tiers of representative government. Any decision to increase the directly elected membership in the Legislative Council beyond what was stipulated in the 1988 White Paper could turn public attention towards the municipal councils and district boards, and produce arguments from some quarters for more directly elected members in these bodies.

In addition, it could be argued that, given that the legislature is likely to be wholly elected by one form or another in 1995, the municipal councils and district boards should, as they form part of the three tier system of representative government, follow a similar pattern of development.

Composition of the District Boards in 1991

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As far as district boards are concerned, the overall ratio of elected to appointed members is about 2: 1.

: 1. There is already an elected majority. The effectiveness of appointed membership in terms of balancing the composition of district boards could be lost if the proportion dropped below one-third. This would be undesirable and we therefore propose that the present structure be retained in 1991.

The Municipal Councils in 1991

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The present composition of the municipal councils is

as follows

Urban Council

15 directly elected 10 DB representatives 15 appointed

Regional Council

12 directly elected

9 DB representatives 12 appointed

_3 ex-officio

(Heung Yee Kuk)

Total:

40 members

Total:

36 members

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While maintaining the status quo with regard to district board membership would be defensible on the grounds of their elected majority, this argument could not be applied in the case of the municipal councils. То keep the present composition of the municipal councils in 1991 in the face of any Government decision

to

increase the number of elected seats in the Legislative Council could be considered inconsistent with Government's commitment to the development of a more representative government.

CONFIDENTIAL