Hong Kong Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Hong Kong

Type: British dependent territory, scheduled to revert to China in 1997

Capital: Victoria

Political subdivisions: Hong Kong Kowloon, and New Territories

Legal system: English common law

Branches: Governor assisted by advisory Executive Council, legislates with advice and consent of Legislative Council; Executive Council composed of governor, four ex-officio senior officials, and 11 nominated members; Legislative Council composed of governor, three ex-officio members. 10 official members, 22 appointed unofficial members and 24 unofficial members elected indirectly by functional constituencies and by an electoral college; Urban Council, consisting of 15 elected members and 15 appointed by Governor, responsible for health, recreation, and resettlement in urban areas; Regional Council (established 1 April 19861, comprising 12 directly elected members, 9 indirectly elected, 12 appointed, and 3 ex officio, has similar responsibilities in nonurban areas; independent judiciary

Government leader: Sir Edward YOUDE, Governor and Commander in Chief (since May 1982); Chief Secretary Sir David AKERS-JONES (since 1985)

Suffrage: limited to 450 000 to 550,000 professional or skilled persons

Elections: on three-year cycle for Urban ana Regional Councils; last held March 1986; indirect elections for Legislative Council held for first time in September 1985 and planned for three-year intervals

Political parties: no significant parties

Communists: an estimated 4,000 cadres affiliated with Communist Party of China

Other political or pressure groups: Federa tion of Trade Unions (Communist controlled), Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (Nationalist Chinese dominated), Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (Communist controlled). Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union

Member of: ADB, ESCAP (associate member), IMO, INTERPOL, Multifiber Arrangement, WMO

NOTE: The information regarding Hong Kong on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Hong Kong 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Hong Kong 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.