CONFIDENTIAL
20. The
to
Elections will be indirect: elected local
government boards will form an electoral college
choose 12 members for LegCo; 12 other members will
elected by functional constituencies representing the
be
A
main professional, commercial and other groups.
further review of the next stage of
of development
scheduled for 1987, before the elections planned for
1988.
i s
21. The first elections to LegCo will be held on 26
September. 64 candidates have been nominated for
election to the 24 seats and as a result the elections
will be keenly contested. The Governor has reported
that with a f ew exceptions the candidates have no
obvious political background. There is considerable
interest among the Hong Kong public and media in the
how dors tus his mi with me arrangemanta elections. wi para 20 (When are
for indirect elections)
22. In recent months we have
this
and
received (mostly through
a variety of unofficial sources) expressions of
concern on the part of the Chinese Government that
constitutional change in Hong Kong may be proceeding
too fast.
The Chinese concern will have been
exacerbated by the controversy in Hong Kong
summer over the passage of the LegCo (Powers Privileges) Bill, which in preparation for the elections sought to codify the various immunities and
parliamentary-style privileges of LegCo members. The measure was widely attacked in Hong Kong as an attempt
to gag public criticism of LegCo in
in preparation for 1997. The Bill, much-amended, was eventually passed, but there is now some public suspicion in Hong Kong of
the Hong Kong Government's motives in promoting
constitutional change. Chinese concern is, however,
probably aimed less at the electoral process to be inaugurated on 26 Septembr than as an early warning of
Chinese views in anticipation of the Hong Kong
Government's review in 1987.
CONFIDENTIAL