Revamp for Patten plan
NEGOTIATIONS will begin again when China drops its insistence that Mr Patten withdraws his proposals in total. In return, it would be a diplomatic coup for Mr Patten to announce at the first meeting that he withdraws his previous proposals and instead would like to present the following version: The nine new functional constituencies will not have a different way of voting as compared to the existing 21 constituencies. Instead all 30 functional constituencies' electorates will be widened somewhat. To what extent would be one of the subjects of discussion in this series of talks.
The election Committee of 1995 will take the form as stated in the Basic Law: 200 people from industrial, commercial and financial sectors, 200 people from the professional sector, 200 people from labour, social services, religious and other sectors, 200 people from those who hold political office.
Every voting member of the public in Hongkong would be entitled to register to vote in one of the above four sectors. Any person who is registered as a voter in a sector is qualified to run as a candidate in that sector.
In this manner we will have 800 directly elected Election Committee members. This directly elected Election Committee will elect 10 Legislative Councillors in the 1995 Legislature. The Committee will also be authorised by the Chinese People's National Congress to elect the first Chief Executive of the 1997 SAR Government. With this proposal, the people of Hongkong will have a say, although indirectly, in the choice of the first Chief Executive of Hongkong SAR Government.
ALEX WOO Central
