TNAG-2625-FCO40-3816-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1992 — Page 76

4.

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The most

The LegCo Select Committee's Report on the 1995 Legislative Council election was debated on 15 July. contentions. issue was the voting system. The Select Committee

(on which the liberals are in a minority)

recommended for 1995 a multi-seat, single non-transferable vote, which

is judged likely to favour minority and independent candidates and to work against the UDHK. The UDHK want either to keep the existing arrangement or, failing that, the single seat, single vote option, as in the UK. The vote went against the Select Committee's recommendation, and an amendment calling for a one seat, one vote system was passed (28 to 23 with the 2 officials abstaining). Another amendment, criticising functional constituencies as undemocratic, was defeated (21 to

27 with 7 abstentions).

The Future of OMELCO

5.

But with the new

Last year OMELCO anticipated the new political situation in LegCo by establishing itself as an independent corporation, no longer an integral part of the HKG. assertiveness of LegCo, the role of OMELCO as an umbrella organisation linking the non-official members of both Legislative and Executive Councils has been increasingly questioned. Baroness Dunn has said a review would be conducted in the coming three months and that she could see some merit in a clearer demarcation between ExCo and LegCo.

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