Provisional Legislative Council
PLC Paper No. CB(2)229
Ref : CB2/PL/CA
Provisional Legislative Council
Panel on Constitutional Affairs
Minutes of the first meeting held on Tuesday, 22 July 1997 at 11:30 a.m.
in the Chamber of the Legislative Council Building
Members present :
Hon Andrew WONG Wang-fat, JP (Chairman)
Hon TSANG Yok-sing (Deputy Chairman)
Hon Mrs Elsie TU, GBM
Hon CHENG Kai-nam
Hon Kennedy WONG Ying-ho
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Hon Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen, JP
Hon KAN Fook-yee
Hon CHOY So-yuk
Members Absent :
Hon James TIEN Pei-chun, JP
Hon David CHU Yu-lin
Hon Bruce LIU Sing-lee
Member in Attendance :
Hon IP Kwok-him
Clerk in Attendance :
- Mrs Percy MA
- Clerk to Panel
Staff in Attendance :
- Mrs Justina LAM
- Assistant Secretary General 2
- Mrs Eleanor CHOW
- Senior Assistant Secretary (2) 8
- Miss Flora TAI
- Senior Assistant Secretary (2) 3
I. Election of Chairman and Deputy Chairman
Mr CHIM Pui-chung was elected as presiding member for the election of Chairman. Before nominations were called, members were invited to note that according to the Administration, no Government advisory body was relevant to the terms of reference of the Panel, hence there was no restriction as prescribed in House Rule 22(h) on chairmanship or deputy chairmanship. There were two nominations for the chairmanship. Mr Andrew WONG was nominated by Mr WONG Ying-ho and seconded by Mr CHENG Kai-nam. Mr CHIM Pui-chung was nominated by Mrs Elsie TU and seconded by Mr KAN Fook-yee. Both of them indicated acceptance of the nomination. As Mr CHIM Pui-chung was one of the nominees, Mr Ambrose LAU was elected as presiding member as his replacement. A vote was therefore taken by secret ballot. Mr Ambrose LAU declared Mr Andrew WONG who received the highest number of votes Chairman of the Panel. The Chairman then took the chair and proceeded with the election of Deputy Chairman. Mr TSANG Yok-sing was nominated by Mr CHENG Kai-nam and seconded by Mrs Elsie TU and Ms CHOY So-yuk. Mr TSANG accepted the nomination. There being no other nominations, the Chairman declared Mr TSANG Deputy Chairman of the Panel.
II.Terms of Reference of the Panel
2.The Chairman invited members to note the terms of reference of the Panel as set out in Appendix II to PLC Paper No. CB(2)57.
III.Schedule of meetings for the session
3.Members agreed that regular meetings of the Panel would be held on the first Friday of every month at 8:30 am in Conference Room A of the Legislative Council Building. Regular meetings up to December 1997 were scheduled as follows:
Friday, 5 September 1997 at 8:30 am
Friday, 3 October 1997 at 8:30 am
Friday, 7 November 1997 at 8:30 am
Friday, 5 December 1997 at 8:30 am
Members further agreed that a special meeting would be held, if necessary, before the next regular meeting in September.
IV.Items for discussion at the next regular meeting
4.Members noted that:
- there was no outstanding item for discussion by the Panel;
- a special briefing on "Electoral arrangements for the first Legislative Council of the Special Administrative Region" had been conducted by the Administration for the House Committee on 8 July 1997; and
- the Electoral Affairs Commission Bill to provide for an independent commission on boundary demarcation and elections would be introduced into the Council on 23 July 1997 and considered by the House Committee on 8 August 1997.
Members agreed that the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs should be invited to brief members on the scope of work of the Constitutional Affairs Bureau at the next regular meeting.
V.Any other business
5.There being no other business, the meeting ended at 11:20 am.
Provisional Legislative Council Secretariat
2 September 1997
