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District Boards. Playing an advisory role, the District Boards are grassroots councils for the expression of opinions by district residents rather than by people in the industrial and commercial sectors, functional organizations, accounting and legal sectors in the districts. They should reflect the opinions of local residents on district administration. Why is it that people of different backgrounds, such as the so-called professionals and businessmen, should be appointed to maintain a balance in the Councils? What is the purpose of this? I have been a District Board Member for nine years. I have not seen anything special about appointed members during my tenure. I cannot see how the District Boards will be affected without them. I cannot see why District Boards cannot function without the appointed members. In September 1994, members of the 18 District Boards were all elected. There were no appointed members. Mr. Tung alleged that it was a trick of Mr. Chris Patten to have the appointed seats abolished and so it was now necessary to put things back on the normal track. I cannot agree with him. I put the following questions to Mr. Tung. In more than two years from 1994 to 1997, was there great confusion in the work of the District Boards? Did the District Boards perform their duties in an abnormal way? Did the District Boards perform very poorly without the appointed members? Mr. Tung did not answer my questions. He could not answer them. So, why do we need appointed members? The hidden motive is to maintain a balance in the Boards, to obstruct the development of democracy and to reduce the voices of district residents. I am definitely not discriminatory against appointed members. I only feel that District Board Members should be elected by citizens rather than appointed by the Government or by Mr. Tung. Mr. Tung said he would like to appoint those who did not want to run in elections. If they do not want to run in elections, they should not be District Board Members. Why do they want to be District Board Members? How can they represent the public and the districts? If they do not want to run in elections and do not want to go through the process of election by the public, they will only be accountable to Mr. Tung. Their performance will not be monitored by the public. They will not be accountable to the public,
These are my remarks.
*The Section should be Section 59(a)(i)
Ms. Carlye TSUI WAI-LING (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman,
Now that the new millennium is round the corner, the delivery of municipal services should not only cater for the present needs of the public and plans must be drawn up for the new era so that community needs will be well taken care of when we enter the next century,
The following are some of the definitions of “millennium” :-
In one encyclopaedia, "millennium" is defined as "expectations of material benefits to be enjoyed on earth in the near future";
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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
353
District Boards. Playing an advisory role, the District Boards are grassroots councils for the expression of opinions by district residents rather than by people in the industrial and commercial sectors, functional organizations, accounting and legal sectors in the districts. They should reflect the opinions of loocal residents on district administration. Why is it that people of different boackgrounds, such as the so-called professionals and businessinen, should be appointed to maintain a balance in the Councils? What is the purpose of this? I have been a District Board Member for nine years. I have not seen anything special about appointed members during my tenure. I cannot see how the District Boards will be affected without them. I cannot see why District Boards cannot function without the appointed members. In September 1994, members of the 18 District Boards were all elected. There were no appointed members. Mr. Tung alleged that it was a trick of Mr. Chris Pattern to have the appointed seats abolished and so it was now necessary to put things back on tthe normal track. I cannot agree with him. I put the following questions to Mr. TUNG. In more than two years from 1994 to 1997, was there great confusion in the work of the District Boards? Did the District Boards perform their duties in an abnormal way? Did the District Boards perform very poorly without the appointed members? Mr. TUNG did not answer my questions. He could not answer them. So, why do we need appointed members? The hidden motive is to maintain a balance in the Boards, to obstruct the development of democracy and to reduce the voices of district residents. I am definitely not discriminatory against appointed members. I only feel that District Board Members should be elected by citizens rather than appointed by the Government or by Mr. TUNG. Mr. TUNG said he would like to appoint those who did not want to run in elections. If they do not want to run in elections, they should not be District Board Members. Why do they want to be District Board Members? How can they represent the public and the districts? If they do not want to run in elections and do not want to go through the process of election by the public, they will only be accountable to Mr. TUNG. Their performance will not be monitored by the public. They will not be accountable to the public,
These are my remarks.
*The Section should be Section 59(a)(i)
Ms. Carlye TSUI WAI-LING (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman,
Now that the new millennium is round the corner, the delivery of municipal services should not only cater for the present needs of the public and plans must be drawn up for the new era so that community needs will be well taken care of when we enter the next century,
The following are some of the definitions of “millennium” :-
In one encyclopaedia, "millennium" is defined as "expectations of material benefits to be enjoyed on earth in the near future";
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