arrive at a judgement in the interests of their community than is the central Government. We will therefore give District Boards full authority in managing funds for minor environmental improvement projects, local public works projects and community building activities. They will also be responsible for managing community halls and for making appointments to a variety of local bodies such as School and Industrial Liaison Committees and Civic Education Committees.
140. With additional responsibilities being given to them, and with this Council being fully elected in 1995, I believe it would be hard to justify the continuation of appointed membership to District Boards. As from 1994, I propose that all members should be directly elected, with the exception of ex-officio members in the New Territories. We should similarly increase the number of directly elected seats on the two Municipal Councils. While continuing to allow the District Boards and the Heung Yee Kuk to elect their existing number of representatives to these Councils, we should abolish the appointed seats.
A Boundary and Election Commission
141. These arrangements, and those for the Legislative Council, will involve a good deal of work in defining the boundaries for new constituencies and to make similar arrangements for the existing constituencies. To ensure fairness in this important task, I propose that, as recommended by this Council, we should set up an independent Boundary and Election Commission which will report direct to me.
Shaping the Programme
142. Let me emphasise: these are proposals, not a final programme. They will require hard work, plain talking and goodwill, here in Hong Kong, in London and in Peking. Some of the proposals will also entail complex administrative arrangements. For example, registering voters in the new functional constituencies based on broad industrial groupings of our working population will be a formidable undertaking. But I do not believe that we can afford to be deterred by these challenges.
143. In shaping this package, I have tried to build on existing institutions and to give them a broader base of support.
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