The Fifth Report

The Fourth Report of the Constitutional Development Task Force
Regional Forum (New Territories East)
(29 January 2005)

Discussion Summaries of Group 4
Group Facilitator: Mr CHEUNG Tat-leung

(Translation)

Method for Selecting the Chief Executive

The Number of Members of the Election Committee

• The majority of participants agreed to increase the number of Election Committee members to 1 600. Each sector should return 400 members and the size of the electorate should also be expanded.

The Composition of the Election Committee

• A participant suggested that members of area committees, fight crime committees and fire safety committees be included in the Fourth Sector of the Election Committee. However, a participant disagreed because most of the members of these committees were appointed members.

The Number of Members Required for Nominating Candidates

• Participants agreed that even if the number of the Election Committee members was increased, the existing requirement of 100 subscribers for nomination should remain unchanged so as to allow more candidates to run for the election.

The Delineation and Size of the Electorate of the Election Committee

• The majority of participants supported replacing corporate voting by individual voting so that the size of the electorate could be expanded by one to two times, with an estimated increase from the existing 160 000 to
  400 000. When employees became voters of their respective subsectors, the majority of grassroot labour would have been included in the electorate of the Election Committee. This would significantly enhance the legitimacy of the Chief Executive.

Others

• Participants agreed that universal suffrage should be the ultimate aim. With regard to the timing for implementation, a participant wished to see a faster pace, while another preferred to see this achieved in a gradual and orderly manner.

Method for Forming the Legislative Council

The Number of Seats in the Legislative Council

• The majority of participants supported retaining the existing number of seats.

The Delineation and Size of the Electorate of the Legislative Council Functional Constituencies

• Participants supported replacing corporate voting with individual voting so that the size of the electorate could be expanded. This would be a big step towards universal suffrage.

• A participant suggested that the delineation of functional constituencies be adjusted in accordance with social development. New constituencies, such as logistics and foreign investors, should be added.

Provisions regarding Nationality of the Legislative Council Members

• A participant opined that the existing provision, which allowed foreign nationals to become Legislative Council Members, could be maintained.

Others

• Participants generally supported universal suffrage. They considered that it should be achieved in a harmonious way and in a gradual and orderly manner.

• The majority of participants considered that the existence of functional constituencies did not constitute a hindrance to universal suffrage. As Hong Kong was a city with both Chinese and Western cultures and had foreign investors, it would be worth maintaining some professional or functional constituencies to realize the spirit of the legislature. If functional constituencies were retained and the size of the electorate broadened, it would be beneficial to the development of Hong Kong and would not be an obstacle to democratization.