*
+
TO ACHIEVE THIS WAS TO HAVE A POLITICAL SYSTEM THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE.
TO BOTH THE BRITISH AND THE CHINESE.
6. ON THE OTHER HAND, PEKING CONSIDERED THAT UNDER THE PRINCIPLE
OF HK PEOPLE GOVERNING HK'', THE BUSINESS SECTOR AND THE UPPER
MIDDLE-CLASS SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO ENTER POLITICS IF THEY
WANTED TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUSINESS INTERESTS COULD NOT EXPECT EITHER BRITAIN OR CHINA TO PUT IN PLACE
A SAFE AND SOUND POLITICAL SYSTEM IN HK: THEY COULD ONLY SECURE
THIS BY TAKING PART IN POLITICS THEMSELVES. HENCE, THE PUBLICATION
OF THE MANIFESTO.
7. THE NEXT SECTION OF THE ARTICLE SET OUT THE CONTENTS OF THE
MANIFESTO, DETAILS OF WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN OUR TELNO 2637. IN COMPARING THESE PROPOSALS WITH PEKING'S THINKING,
THE ARTICLE IDENTIFIED TWO MAIN SIMILARITIES:
(A) THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHOULD NOT BE ELECTED FROM THE LEGISLATURE
AND
(B) THERE SHOULD BE SEPARATION OF POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE, THE LEGISLATURE AND THE JUDICIARY. HOWEVER, THE MANIFESTO PROVIDED
FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO KEEP THE POWERS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN CHECK THROUGH CONTROL OVER HIS NOMINATION AND ELECTION, AS WELL
AS THE RESTRAINTS ON THE CONDUCT OF THE EXECUTIVE BY COMMITTEES
SET UP UNDER THE LEGISLATURE.
8.
ON THE SELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THE ARTICLE SAND THAT PEKING WAS IN FAVOUR OF AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE COMPRISING ABOUT 300 MEMBERS. RESERVATION WAS EXPRESSED OVER THE INCLUSION
OF RETIRED SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
PEKING ALSO CONSIDERED THAT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE SHOULD PROPOSE THREE NOMINEES FOR THE POST OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOR APPROVAL BY THE STATE COUNCIL BEFORE LOCAL ELECTION WAS HELD. SUCH AN
ARRANGEMENT WOULD HAVE DUE REGARD TO THE DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS OF HK
PEOPLE BUT WOULD AVOID THE SITUATION WHERE THE CPG MIGHT HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH THE CHOICE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE ELECTED 'N HK. IF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WAS IN POSESSION OF A FOREIGN NATIONALITY, HE SHOULD RELINQUISH IT UPON ELECTION. THE ARTICLE EMPHASIZED THAT THE POWERS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE ORIGINATE FROM HIS APPOINTMENT BY THE CPG: THIS WAS THE BOTTOM-LINE FOR PEKING. IF PEKING WERE
NOT KEPT INFORMED OF THE CANDIDATES FOR THE POST OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, PEKING WOULD NOT BE OBLIGED TO APPOINT ANY OF THEM.
9. THE ARTICLE THEN REPORTED THAT IN RESPONSE TO THE BUSINESSMEN'S MANIFESTO, ANOTHER GROUP OF 19 BLCC MEMBERS COMPRISING MAINLY PRESSURE GROUP REPRESENTATIVES ALSO ANNOUNCED THEIR PRELIMINARY VIEWS ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM. THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS INCLUDED :
A) THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD CONSIST OF DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS AND MEMBERS ELECTED BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES IN BROADLY EQUAL
PROPORTION: AND
RESTRICTED
(B)