THE pro-China Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hongkong (DAB) yesterday proposed to enforce the Basic Law nationality restriction requirements in the 1995 Legislative Council elections by drawing lots. Unveiling its proposed package on the electoral arrangements, the group also suggested the National People's Congress (NPC) draw up discreet, specific and unbiased standards to enforce the through-train arrangements so legislators returned in 1995 could straddle 1997. A proportional representation system was also recommended. DAB chairman and Hongkong affairs adviser Mr Tsang Yok-sing stressed the group's blueprint was mapped out on the basis of the Joint Declaration, convergence with the Basic Law and the seven diplomatic letters between China and Britain. Mr Tsang said the proposals were submitted to Chinese and British officials, including the Governor, Mr Chris Patten, and the director of the Hongkong and Macau Affairs Office, Mr Lu Ping. To comply with the Basic Law stipulation which limits the number of legislators holding foreign passports or having right of abode in a foreign country to 20 per cent of the council membership, the group proposed that lots be drawn to enforce the nationality restriction. It suggested that not more than six of the 30 seats returned by functional constituencies, four of the 20 by direct polls and two of the 10 by Election Committee be allocated to foreign passport holders. After the deadline for nomination, if the number of candidates holding foreign passports exceeded the quota of 12, candidates would draw lots to determine their own placement order in the election. If the number of those holding foreign passports and securing majority votes exceeded the quota assigned, the placement order previously established by lots would be used to determine who was elected. Any unused quota left in the functional constituency group would be given to the direct election group and unused quota left in the direct election group would then be transferred to the Election Committee group. In order to ensure openness and fairness, DAB also urged the NPC to draw up discreet, specific and unbiased standards to comply with the through-train arrangements upon which the Special Administrative Region Preparatory Committee could base the confirmation procedure to determine who in the 1995 Legislative Council would be able to ride on the through-rain. Drawing experience from Macau elections, the group suggested a proportional representation election system for the 1995 direct polls by dividing the territory into five constituencies - one on Hongkong Island, two in Kowloon and two in the New Territories. DAB secretary-general Mr Cheng Kai-nam said the proportional representation system would enable different voices and interests to be reflected in Legco. Under the plan, four seats would be instituted in each constituency and candidates would form coalitions of four to run in the elections. But the voters would be allowed to choose only the coalition they preferred and vote only for the candidates from the coalition they chose. Votes would be allocated to the four candidates in each coalition in accordance with their own agreed placement order. DAB also proposed a 400-strong Election Committee with its members equally divided among the sectors of industry, commerce and finance; professionals; labour, grassroots, religious and others; and politicians.
