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(b)
(c)
(a)
The public service would have had no
accustomed to working with an office Hong Kong's experience.
opportunity to become
which will be new in
The new system itself would be untested and there would have been no opportunity to adjust it in the light of experience before it had to bear the full weight of responsibility for
the Government of Hong Kong.
Although the main powers of
of the Chief Executive will be set
out in the Basic Law, this will need to be supplemented by
amendments to existing Hong Kong law, and the
legislation required to provide for this cannot be enacted
quickly.
numerous
5.
On the other hand, to select a Chief Executive Designate
before 1997, but not to install him in office until after the
transition of power, would mean that there were two separate centres
of influence in existence, the Government and the Chief Executive
Designate, and the community would find it confusing and disrupting to have two such focuses of authority in existence at the same time.
This could seriously detract from the authority of the Hong Kong
crucial time
and make it difficult for HMG to
which they have undertaken in responsibility which
the
1997. Hong Kong until
This could pose a
a
Government at
discharge this
Joint Declaration of
possible threat to Hong Kong's stability.
6.
powers
than those
The difficulties with the two courses of action outlined in
paras 4 and 5 above could be substantially reduced by creating before 1997 a post within the structure of the Hong Kong Government
to which
now exercised by the Governor, other
relating to foreign affairs and defence, could be progressively
delegated as 1997 approached; and to which someone who would accepted as the Chief Executive Designate could be appointed at some
stage before the transfer of power.
7.
be
This would give time for the powers which the Chief Executive would exercise after 1997 to be delegated in an orderly manner. It would give the Chief Executive Designate himself time to gain
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