TNAG-2013-FCO40-2865A-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1991-1990 — Page 85

Directly elected members

Functional seats

Appointed members

Ex-Officio members

Appointed Deputy President

SECRET

This compares with the existing LegCo:

Appointed members

Functional seats

Official members

Members elected by the electoral

college

18

20 or 21

20

38.

12 or 18

16

3

1

56

59 or 60

20

14

10

12

222

56

4. We are committed to a 60 seat legislature in 1995, but this does not necessarily mean increasing the size of LegCo to 60 seats in

1991 We have never said that we would do so, and our view, shared by the Governor, is that the Chinese cannot reasonably regard us as being committed to a 60 seat legislature in 1991. Thus ExCo's proposals for a 59 or 60 seat legislature should not seem provocative, and the breakdown proposed is reasonable, given of course that the directly elected element cannot exceed 18 seats.

?

DEPUTY PRESIDENT

5.

Both the 1984 and 1987 reviews of constitutional development, advocated caution in introducing a situation where the Governor does not preside over LegCo meetings. However the draft Basic Law provides that the President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR should be elected from among the members. The appointment in 1991 of a Deputy President is designed to pave the way for a smooth transition. The Deputy President would have no other speaking or

CHRAAS

SECRET