Investor Presentaiton

32 16 Even with the addition of the legislators to be elected by the Election Committee, why can we not adopt a more balanced proportion where Election Committee constituency, functional constituencies and geographical constituencies each sharing 30 seats? Central Authorities' overall requirements of improving the electoral system are to enhance the balanced and orderly political participation by the community and ensure broader representation in the political structure of Hong Kong. The reconstituted Election Committee is broadly representative, and its composition best demonstrates the balanced and orderly political participation. Mr. Wang Chen, the Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, has pointed out in the Explanation on the Draft Decision that the Election Committee will be entrusted with the new function of electing a larger proportion of legislators. The arrangement that the Election Committee elects 40 out of 90 legislators will help meet the objective of going beyond the vested interests of various groups and districts, which in turn helps the LegCo reflect the overall interests of the Hong Kong society and enhance efficacy of the HKSAR's administration. Having the Election Committee playing a larger role in the LegCo does not mean that the interests of particular sectors or districts would be ignored. According to the amended Annex II to the Basic Law, the passage of bills and motions introduced by the Government shall require at least a simple majority vote of the Members of the LegCo present. Sole reliance on the 40 votes of the Election Committee will not secure passage of a Government motion. As regards motions and bills introduced by individual Members of the LegCo, a simple majority vote of each of the two groups of Members present is required. Therefore, the 50 Members returned by functional constituencies and by geographical constituencies through direct elections are in effect holding the veto power for such motions and bills. In other words, even if the 40 Members of the Election Committee constituencies are unanimous, both Government's and Member's motions can only be passed with the support of Members returned by functional constituencies and those returned by geographical constituencies through direct elections, ensuring that diverse views are attached importance. Why is the proportional representation system adopted in returning legislators by geographical constituencies through direct elections replaced by a "double seats and single vote" system? Is this not a retrogression in democracy and is it intended to favour the pro-establishment camp? Currently, the direct elections of geographical constituencies adopt the largest remainder method under the proportional representation system. Its merit is that it prevents the dominance of a single party while its drawback is that it leads to fragmentation of political parties. Some radical candidates may make use of demagogical, extreme methods to appeal to a small proportion of voters and gain seats in the LegCo, making it hugely challenging for the executive authorities to work with the legislature. It also renders the political ecology more radical, which is not conducive to the stability of Hong Kong. The system of "double seats and single vote" will help ensure the stability of district politics and be beneficial to political parties' long-term development. Under the "double seats and single vote" system, Hong Kong permanent residents' rights to vote and to stand for election remain unaffected. In selecting which political system to adopt, protection of any particular political camp has never been a deciding factor. Theoretically, the two camps face the same challenges and have equal chance in gaining seats in the LegCo under the system of "double seats and single vote". A fair electoral system allows for a more broadly representative legislature that can reflect public opinion in a balanced manner. Within the overall framework of checks and balances, the legislature can also cooperate with the executive authorities, thereby attaining better governance. The system of "double seats and single vote" is better suited to achieve these objectives. 33

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