TNAG-2456-FCO40-3577-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-presentation-1992 — Page 79

4.

The Governor has also proposed that he attends LegCo regularly, at least once each month, to answer questions from Members on the Government's policies.

THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS

5. The British Government will continue to press with vigour the case for more directly elected LegCo seats. But this is not the only way of achieving greater democratic participation in Hong Kong's representative institutions. Our aim is to develop democratic participation to the maximum within the terms of the Joint Declaration (and the Basic Law. The following proposals have been made for discussion in Hong Kong as well as with China:

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

Voting Age. We propose that this should be lowered from 21 to 18, in line with the practice in many other places, including Britain and China.

Voting System. We propose the adoption of a single-seat, single-vote system. This is simple and equitable, and is also well known and accepted in Hong Kong.

The functional Constituencies. Our aim is to expand the franchise for the existing functional constituencies. By replacing all forms of corporate voting by individual voting we shall expand the franchise of the relevant functional constituencies more than five times. We propose that the nine new functional constituencies should include all working people. As a result, the franchise of the 30 functional constituencies will be extended to all eligible voters in our working population of 2.7 million.

Urban and Regional Councils. The number of directly elected members of the Municipal Councils will be similarly increased and appointed seats will be abolished.

District Boards. The responsibilities of the District Boards will be increased, and so will their funding. From 1994, all members of the District Boards will be directly elected, with the exception of ex-officio members in the New Territories. There will be no more appointed District Board members.

Boundary and Election Commission. An independent Boundary and Election Commission will be set up to make recommendations on the demarcation of constituency boundaries and to oversee the arrangements for the conduct of elections.

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