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FM HONG KONG 140531Z MAR 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 682 OF 14 MARCH
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
AKK
101113
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
94
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14 MAR 1984
DANCER
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an Taken
MIPT FUTURE OF HONG KONG: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FOLLOWING IS DRAFT OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMORANDUM.
BEGINS: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT
INTRODUCTION
1. ON 5 JANUARY 1984, MEMBERS CONSIDERED (IN THE PART II MEETING) MEMORANDUM XCX(84)2 ON THE FUTURE: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT, N WHICH SOME OPTIONS FOR POSSIBLE REFORMS TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE OF HONG KONG WERE SET OUT AS A BASIS FOR A DICUSSION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND 1997. TWO POSSIBLE APPROACHES WERE DISCUSSED IN THAT MEMORANDUM, NAMELY:
(A) TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM BASED ON INDIRECT ELECTIONS: OR
(B) TO MOVE MORE QUICKLY TO DIRECT ELECTIONS:
FOR CENTRAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS. MEMBERS ADVISED THAT THE BEST COURSE WOULD BE TO PURSUE A STRATEGY OF PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT, BUILDING ON EXISTING INSTITUTIONS.
2. ALSO ON 5 JANUARY 1984, MEMBERS CONSIDERED (IN THE PART I MEETING) MEMORANDUM XCS(84)4 ON THE REVIEW OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, IN WHICH IT WAS PROPOSED, (NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED) INTER ALIA, THAT A SEPARATE REGIONAL COUNCIL SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED FOR THOSE AREAS NOT PRESENTLY UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, AND THE ELECTED ELEMENT IN THE DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD BE STRENGTHEN- ED, SO THAT THE PROPORTION OF ELECTED TO APPOINTED MEMBERS ON DISTRICT BOARDS WOULD IN FUTURE BE 2:1, (THAT IS, TWO-THIRDS OF DISTRICT BAORD MEMBERS AND HALF OF THE MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE SECOND REGIONAL COUNCIL WOULD IN FUTURE BE ELECTED BY UNIVERSAL ADULT SUFFRAGE. THE COUNCIL ADVISED AND THE GOVERNOR ORDERED THAT THE PROPOSALS AND SUGGESTIONS SUMMARISED IN PARAGRAPH 21 OF THE MEMORANDUM SHOULD FORM THE BASIS OF SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS (INCLUDING THE NECESSARY DRAFT LEGISLATION) IN DUE
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