GR 350
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY FCO 13110OZ
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY PEKING 14010OZ
FM HONG KONG 1310157 NOV 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3468 OF 13 NOVEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
(352
Huck out
13 NOV 1984
ло
Rr
(348) MY TELNO 3419 AND YOUR TELNO 2223! WHITE PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT.
1. DURING DISCUSSION OF DRAFT WHITE PAPER BY EXCO THIS MORNING
MEMBERS AGREED THAT THERE SHOULD BE A REVIEW OF THE POSITION
IN 1987 BUT ASKED THAT THE PARAGRAPH ON THIS SUBJECT SHOULD BE
RE-WORDED. THEY ALSO ACCEPTED SOME OTHER AMENDMENTS IN YOUR TEL
UNDER REF BUT NOT ALL.
2. THERE WAS A LONG DISCUSSION ON THE QUESTION OF NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERS OF LEGCO. 3 OR 4 UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS TOOK THE VIEW THAN ONLY BRITISH AND CHINESE NATIONALS SHOULD BE
ALLOWED TO STAND FOR ELECTION. WHEN THIS VIEW FAILED TO RECEIVE MAJORITY SUPPORT, 5 OR 6 MEMBERS WERE IN FAVOUR OF RAISING THE ISSUE IN THE WHITE PAPER AND SAYING IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN
THE REVIEW IN 1987. HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL TOOK
THE VIEW THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO REST ON THE PRESENT VOTING
AND CANDIDATURE QUALIFICATIONS ALREADY WELL-ESTABLISHED IN THE
ELECTIONS FOR THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND URBAN COUNCIL. APART FROM
THE PROBLEM OF DEFINING IN HONG KONG LAW WHO IS AND WHO IS NOT
A CHINESE NATIONAL, THEY STRONGLY FAVOURED THE PRESENT QUALIFIC- ATIONS WHICH LEAVE A VOTER FREE TO VOTE FOR ANY CANDIDATE PROVIDING
THAT HE HAS THE RESIDENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED UNDER THE
EXISTING SYSTEM. THEY SAW NO REASON TO RAISE THIS CONTENTIOUS
ISSUE IN THE WHITE PAPER.
3. THE COUNCIL ALSO DECIDED TO LEAVE OUT THOSE PARAGRAPHS DEALING
WITH MULTIPLE VOTING ON THE GROUND THAT IT WOULD BE IMPRACTICABLE AND UNDESIRABLE NOT TO PERMIT A DEGREE OF MULTIPLE VOTING AMONG
THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. THE EXACT DEGREE WILL BE SET OUT
IN THE DRAFT LEGISLATION (A FRUTHER TELEGRAM ON THIS WILL FOLLOW
IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS).
4. AMENDMENTS TO THE DRAFT AS AGREED BY EXCO ARE BEING TELEGRAPHED SEPARATELY. THE REVISED TEXT OF THE WHITE PAPER IS ALSO BEING CIRCULATED TO EXCO MEMBERS THIS EVENING FOR CONFIRMATION. IF YOU NEED A CONFIRMATORY TEXT THIS CAN BE TELEGRAPHED TO YOU TOMORROW.
YOUDE
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158
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED)
то
P CRADOCK (2)
LIMITED
HKD
FED
MR WILSON
COPLES
Sik
CONFIDENTIAL