TNAG-2732-FCO40-3938-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 53

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PROPOSAL AND THE TRADITIONAL MODEL IS THAT HITHERTO THE ELECTORATE HAS BEEN BASED PRIMARILY ON ORGANISATIONS, WHILE WE ARE PROPOSING THAT IT SHOULD BE BASED ON SECTORIAL GROUPINGS. SHOULD BE READY TO ACCEPT SOME SHIFT BACK TOWARDS ORGANISATIONS. OUR AIM WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT THE CONSTITUENCIES WERE AS EXTENSIVE AS POSSIBLE BUT WE SHOULD REALISE THAT ANY RETREAT FROM OUR EXISTING PROPOSALS WOULD BE LIKELY TO BE ATTACKED INTERNATIONALLY AND BY LIBERALS HERE PARTICULARLY IF THEY ENTAILED A SUBSTANTIAL DIMINUTION IN THE ELECTORATE COVERED. OUR PRESENT PROPOSAL COVERS 2.7 MILLION VOTERS. THE NEARER YOU GET TO THE TRADITIONAL MODEL THE QUICKER THE ELECTORATE DIMINISHES AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE DEVISING NINE CREDIBLE ORGANISATION-BASED FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WITH A TOTAL ADDITIONAL ELECTORATE OF MUCH MORE THAN 750,000 AT A MAXIMUM. CERTAINLY COULD NOT ACCEPT THE KIND OF CHINESE PROPOSALS WE KNOW EXISTED LAST AUTUMN, FOR EXAMPLE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES FOR MAINLAND COMPANIES.

WE ARE WORKING ON MORE DETAILED PROPOSALS FOR FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES THAT WE CONSIDER MIGHT BE ACCEPTABLE AND ARE KEEPING IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH INDEPENDENT MEMBERS IN LEGCO WHO ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY WORKING ON THEIR OWN PROPOSALS. WE WILL FORWARD OUR FURTHER DETAILED IDEAS ON THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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5. THE OUTCOME OF DISCUSSION ON THE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WILL HAVE A DIRECT BEARING ON THE ONE MAN ONE VOTE ISSUE. AS WE HAVE REHEARSED BEFORE, THERE ARE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES ON BOTH SIDES. THERE IS A REASONABLE ARGUMENT AGAINST SOME PEOPLE HAVING TWO VOTES AND SOME ONLY ONE. BUT THIS ARGUMENT IS WEAKER IF WE END UP WITH A VERY WIDE FRANCHISE FOR THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES (AS IN OUR EXISTING PROPOSALS) AND STRONGER IF THE NEW CONSTITUENCIES ARE MORE NARROWLY BASED. WE WILL HAVE TO KEEP THIS ISSUE IN MIND AS TALKS ON THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES PROCEED SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE THE BALANCE OF ADVANTAGES LIES.

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ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, OUR KEY PRINCIPLE OF COURSE IS THAT ITS MEMBERS SHOULD BE ELECTED RATHER THAN SELECTED. WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE IN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN JANUARY, ONLY TWO MODELS WERE IDENTIFIED AS SERIOUS POSSIBILITIES:

(I) A COMMITTEE BASED ON FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERSHIP:

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