TNAG-2446-FCO40-3562-Political-parties-in-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 89

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1.4. Polis. Parties

MEETING POINT

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香港九龍吳松街149-151號龍滙商業大廈三樓 電話:92263010 傳真:3750488

3/F, Regal Dragon Centre, 149-151 Woosung Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: 9226 3010 Fax: 375 0488

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Toward a more open and democratic government in Hong Kong

(Memorandum presented to Mr Alastair Goodlad, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, by Meeting Point legislators Li Wah-ming, Tik Chi-yuen and Wong Wai-yin on 28 May 1992)

recent

Since the victory of the Conservative Party in the British general elections and the announcement of Mr Chris Patten's appointment as Hong Kong's next Governor, there have been talks and speculations about possible changes to our political system.

Central to the current debate is the composition of both the Executive Council and the Legislative Council. There are demands for more directly elected seats to the Legislative Council in 1995. On the other hand, the principles of confidentiality and collective responsibility governing the working of the Executive Council, which aroused heated debate late last year, received another round of debate.

Meeting Point gives its full support to the development of a more open and democratic government in Hong Kong. In previous discussions over the political development of Hong Kong, Meeting Point has consistently called for development toward a fully directly elected legislature. In a recent letter to the Prime Minister John Major, legislators from Meeting Point hands with other directly elected members to express our view that at least half of the Legislative Council should be open for democratic elections by 1995.

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However, democratic government involves not only the legislature, but also an open and accountable executive. In this regard, we are particularly concerned with the role and the composition of the Executive Council.

Being constitutionally the Governor's policy advisers and de facto the highest policy making body in Hong Kong, it is important that the Executive Council should be able to reflect major strands of public opinion to ensure that policies made will be acceptable to the wider public. We believe that inclusion of people from more diverse socio-economic backgrounds and political orientations, particularly members of the Legislative Council who are returned by direct elections, should help enable the Executive Council to function more effectively.

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來信請寄香港軒尼詩道郵局郵箱20770號

致力民生

Please address correspondence to P.O. Box 20770, Hennessy Road Post Office, Hong Kong.