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Reference
- 4 JUN 1994 The Governors is considery further
Mr. Clift
RY
Menile we have
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT the draft Green Pupi
PA
༢༠.
1. You asked for a note on this subject for the Governor's call on 24 May.
2. The Hong Kong Government's proposals on Constitutional Development up to 1997 were sent to us in March. The main
ones were:
(a) the progressive replacement of appointed unofficial
members of LEGCO by members elected indirectly by an electoral college of Regional Council and District Board members and by functional groups;
(b) the replacement of the Govenor as President of LEGCO
by a Speaker elected by LEGCO members;
(c)
the progressive replacement of appointed unofficial members of EXCO by members elected by LEGCO;
(d) later on, appointment of Governor following a
process of consultation.
These proposals would be the subject of a Green Paper.
The Secretary of State minuted to the Prime Minister about these proposals on 19 March. The Prime Minister approved them in principle.
3.
B
C
D
VA
CODE 18-77
on the subject on 10 April.
EXCO considered a memorandum Their comments are recorded
in Hong Kong Telegram No 1001. Their main amendment was that the Green Paper should put forward three alternatives for the composition of LEGCO by 1991, involving different numbers of members elected by the elected college, elected by functional groups and supported by the Governor.
4.
Following the visit of the Ding Delegation and the wide- spread support given to the extension of democracy in Hong Kong in the Parliamentary Debates on 16 and 21 May, the question arises of whether the Hong Kong Government's proposals go far enough. There is clearly growing support for the introduction of direct electsions to LEGCO before 1997, both in terms of their desirability per se, and as providing the best means of limiting interference by the Chinese in and after 1997. Moreover, senior Chinese officials have stated on a number of semi-public occasions that they do not oppose such development (even though their concept of elections is no doubt somewhat different from ours). Expectations may have risen to the point where proposals for indirect elections will be seen as a con- siderable anti-climax.
5. Thus, it seems likely that any apparent reluctance by HMG or the Hong Kong Government to introduce some form of direct elections will lead to widespread criticism both in London and Hong Kong. On the other hand, if we were to take a lead in putting forward positive proposals, this might go some considerable way towards alleviating the disappoint- ment and resentment that is already present in Hong Kong
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