SEORET
OPTION 1 IS TO MAKE NO CHANGE. IT WOULD BE ASSUMED THAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD REMAIN CHIEF EXECUTIVE UNTIL 1997 WITH HIS POWERS UNCHANGED EXCEPT IN AS FAR AS IT WAS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE CONVERGENCE BEFORE 1997 BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR'S POWERS AND THOSE OF THE FUTURE SAR CHIEF EXECUTIVE.
6. ON THE OTHER HAND IF IT TRANSPIRED IN THE CONSIDERATION OF THE BASIC LAW THAT THE CHINESE FORESAW THE EXISTENCE IN HONG KONG OF A CENTRAL GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG IN ADDITION TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE: OR IF HMG WISHED TO SEPARATE THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GOVERNOR FROM HIS RESPONSIBIL- ITIES FOR DOMESTIC POLICY IN HONG KONG (BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE IT WAS INTENDED TO INSTAL AN ELECTED CHIEF EXECUTIVE BEFORE 1997 -
A POSSIBILITY FORESEEN IN PARA 65 OF THE GREEN PAPER) THEN
ANOTHER OPTION WOULD BE :-
OPTION 2: TO START THE SEPARATION OF POWERS AIMING TO ARRIVE IN GOOD TIME BEFORE 1997 AT A POSITION IN WHICH THERE WOULD BE
(A) A GOVERNOR RESPONSIBLE TO HMG FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY MATTERS: IN 1997 THESE RESERVE POWERS WOULD PASS TO THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT: AND
(B) A CHIEF EXECUTIVE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXERCISE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC AND EXTERNAL RESPONSIBILIES WITHIN THE AMBIT OF ITS
AUTONOMY.
7. THERE ARE THREE PRINCIPAL WAYS IN WHICH OPTION 2 COULD BE APPROACHED. FIRST, THE CHIEF SECRETARY COULD BECOME THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE: SECOND A SENIOR UNOFFICIAL COULD BECOME CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THIRD THE CHIEF SECRETARY COULD BECOME CHIEF EXECUTIVE INITIALLY WITH A SENIOR UNOFFICIAL TAKING OVER LATER.
8. BEGIN SQUARE BRACKETS SUBJECT TO WHAT MIGHT EMERGE DURING CONSIDERATION OF THE BASIC LAW BETWEEN NOW AND 1987 THE OPTION OF NO CHANGE IS LIKELY TO BE THE ONLY FEASIBLE OPTION
IN THE REVIEW. END SQUARE BRACKETS.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
9. THE GREEN PAPER RECORDED THAT NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE COUNCIL'S PRESENT ROLE AND FUNCTIONS APPEAR TO BE NECESSARY''. THE GOVERNOR PRESIDES OVER MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL AND IF NO SEPARATION OF POWERS (PARA 6 ABOVE) IS FORESEEN, HE WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO. IF SEPARATION WERE TO BE PURSUED HIS ROLE AS PRESIDING OFFICER COULD BE PROGRESSIVELY DEVOLVED TO THE CHIEF SECRETARY OR SENIOR UNOFFICIAL
ULTIMATELY THE GOVERNOR WOULD CHAIP THE COUNCIL ONLY FOR ITEMS RELATING TO FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY. IF THE DECISION IS THAT THE 1937 REVIEW IS TOO EARLY FOR A DECISION ON THE QUESTION OF SEPARATION (PARA 6 ABOVE) THIS OPTION WOULD ALSO FALL AWAY.
MEMBERSHIP OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
10. THE OPTIONS ARE:
-2-
SEORET
|(A)