The Fifth Report

The Fourth Report of the Constitutional Development Task Force
Regional Forum (New Territories West)
(5 March 2005)

Discussion Summaries of Group 5
Group Facilitator: Mr YEUNG Yuk-chiu

(Translation)

Method for Selecting the Chief Executive

The Number of Members of the Election Committee

• Participants agreed that the number of Election Committee members should be increased to 1 600 to enhance the representativeness of the Committee.

The Composition of the Election Committee

• Participants suggested that youth and elderly representatives be added. The number of elderly had been growing due to an aging population in Hong Kong. They should have more opportunities to participate in the Election Committee.
  
  

• A participant also suggested that middle class and independents be included as they seemed to have been neglected.
  
  

• Participants agreed to include more District Council members as Election Committee members. However, adding all District Council members, totaling near 600, would make the size of the Election Committee too large. Participants did not have any suggestion on how the District Council members be selected, but hoped that an equal number would be selected from each district.
  
  

• Participants expressed their wish that professionals and people from various businesses who were being neglected would be included. In addition, in the light of the new economic model and new businesses which had emerged in Hong Kong in recent years, the Election Committee should include more representatives from these areas.

The Number of Members Required for Nominating Candidates

• Participants agreed that the number of subscribers required for nominating candidates should be maintained at one-eighth of the total membership of the Election Committee.

The Delineation and Size of the Electorate of the Election Committee

• The majority of participants agreed that the electorate size of the Election Committee should be enlarged.
  
  

• Participants suggested that corporate voting be replaced by individual voting.

Others

• Participants held different views on whether the Chief Executive should have political affiliation. However, more participants suggested that it was unnecessary for the Chief Executive to relinquish his or her political affiliation upon being elected, as this was conducive to political party development.

Method for Forming the Legislative Council

The Number of Seats in the Legislative Council

• Participants considered that the number of Legislative Council seats should be increased to 70 in line with the population growth in Hong Kong.

The Number of Seats Returned by Geographical Constituencies

• A participant was of the opinion that there was a need to increase the number of seats, given the population growth and the completion of many new housing estates in the New Territories.
  
  

• Participants agreed that the number of seats returned by geographical constituencies should be 35.

The Number of Seats Returned by Functional Constituencies

• Participants considered that the formation of new functional constituencies should be subject to further review and study.

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

• Some participants were of the view that functional constituencies which covered a number of different sectors should be split so that each sector could have its own representative in the Legislative Council to take care of the interests of the respective sector.

Provisions regarding Nationality of Legislative Council Members

• Participants held different views. Nevertheless, more participants were inclined to reducing the number of the Legislative Council Members holding foreign nationalities.
  
  

• A participant opined that some foreigners who had lived in Hong Kong for a long time saw Hong Kong as their second home. They had also made a lot of contributions to Hong Kong. They did not intend to leave Hong Kong and wanted to serve Hong Kong. However, a participant opined that foreigners could contribute to the community through other channels and that they did not necessarily have to become Legislative Council Members.