SHOULD THE DECISION BE TAKEN WHETHER OR NOT TO MOVE TO THE FULL
MEMBERSHIP BEING CHOSEN BY DIRECT ELECTION WITHOUT THE INTERVENTION
OF ELECTORAL COLLEGES.
5. IF WE COULD COME TO A DECISION ON THIS PROCEDURE IT WOULD ENABLE
US TO RECONCILE THE TWO FACTORS WET OUT IN PARA 2 ABOVE IN THE
FOLLOWING WAY. WE COULD (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) INFOR THE CHINESE
(A) THAT WE PROPOSE TO MOVE PROGRESSIVELY TO A SYSTEM UNDER WHICH
THE MEMBERSHIP OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WOULD BE INDIRECTLY
ELECTED UNDER THE COLLEGIATE SYSTEM DESCRIBED IN PARA 3 ABOVE:
(B) THAT EACH STAGE OF THE PROCESS WOULD BE OPEN TO PUBLIC
CONSULTATION IN HONG KONG BEFORE IT WAS ADOPTED: AND
(C) THAT WE WERE NOT LIKELY TO NEED TO COME TO A DECISION ON WHETHER
TO MOVE TO MORE DIRECT ELECTIONS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE
NEXT DECADE.
6. IN RESPONSE TO ANY CLAIM BY THE CHINESE THAT THEY SHOULD BE
(NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) CONSULTED WE COULD REPLY THAT WE WERE
SIMPLY (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) INFORMING THEM OF OUR INTENTIONS
AS REGARDS POINTS (A) AND (B) ABOVE: BUT THAT (B) WOULD ENSURE
THAT NO SURPRISES WERE SPRUNG UPON THEM WITHOUT AN OPPORTUNITY
BEING AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO COMMENT IF THEY SO WISHED.
7. ON (C) WE COULD SAY THAT SINCE WE SHOULD AT THAT STAGE BE SO
CLOSE TO 1997 WE WOULD BE READY TO (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) CONSULT THEM BEFORE WE MOVED TO DIRECT ELECTIONS (RESERVING, OF COURSE,
THE FINAL DECISION ON THE ISSUE TO HMG). WE SHOULD LOSE NOTHING
BY SUCH CONSULTATION BECAUSE BY THEN THERE WOULD BE NO POINT IN
INSTALLING A SYSTEM WHICH THEY MIGHT OVERTHROW IN A FEW YEARS.
8. | SHALL THEREFORE BE SENDING YOU SHORTLY THE DRAFT OF AN
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL PAPER WHICH WILL SET OUT HOW I SUGGEST WE SHOULD PROCEED. THE PLAN WOULD NOT, OF OCOURSE, BE SET IN CONCRETE:
EACH STAGE WOULD BE SUBJECT TO PUBLIC CONSULTATION BEFORE IT
WAS CONFIRMED AND TESTED BEFORE WE MOVED ON TO THE NEXT STAGE.
YOUDE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
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