TNAG-2713-FCO40-3919-Parliamentary-relations-draft-White-Paper-on-Representative--1993 — Page 59

actions. In a further effort to take account of the Chinese

side's wish for a detailed set of criteria, the British side

put forward in Round 16 a draft of an extended oath to be

taken in 1997. The text is at Annex 5. It builds on the

Chinese side's points, and makes clear that it applies to future behaviour. The Chinese side made no response to this

proposal.

Voting Method in Legislative Council Geographical

Constituencies

55.

The Governor proposed in October 1992 that there should

be 20 members directly elected from 20 single-seat

geographical constituencies.

56. The single-seat, single-vote method is simple, and preserves a clear link between the electorate in each

constituency and their elected representative. The Hong Kong electorate is accustomed to this system of voting, which is

already used in the Municipal Council and most District Board

elections.

57. The Chinese side proposed in Round 9 of the talks that for the 20 Legislative Council geographical seats, there

should be 20 members directly elected from the existing nine

geographical constituencies using the multi-seat, single-vote

method. They refused to accept the single-seat, single-vote

method for the Legislative Council, even though they agreed

that it should be used for all Municipal Council and District

Board elections in 1994-95.

58. In the view of Her Majesty's Government and the Hong

Kong Government, the multi-seat, single-vote system would not provide a fair and open system. It would artificially freeze the constituencies as they were demarcated in 1991, taking no

account of demographic trends in Hong Kong. It also appears

statement 26.8/BRIEFS/NJH

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