GRS 1050
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2836
OF 2209O5Z JULY 87
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
Secret
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TOP COPY DIST 2
YOUR TELNOS 1963 AND 1984: STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT : LONGER TERM
*KSSUES
AT THE PART *** MEETING THIS MORNING EXCO MEMBERS CONSIDERED THE REVISED DRAFTS OF THE FOUR PAPERS AND SPECIFICALLY RE-EXAMINED THE
QUESTION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TERMS OF OFFICE OF THE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATURE. THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES WERE
AGREED :
(A) THAT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD HAVE A FIXED TERM OF OFFICE OF 4 YEARS:
(B) THAT THE ELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUT WE SHOULD TAKE PLACE
SHORTLY (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) BEFORE ELECTIONS TO THE NEW
LEGISLATURE : THUS ENABLING THE INCOMING CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO NOMINATE
HES LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION BY THE GEC:
(C) THAT, IN THE EVENT OF THE LEGISLATURE BEING DISSOLVED, THE TERM
OF OFF ACE OF BOTH THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD
COME TO AN END AND BOTH PARTIES SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO SEEK RE- ELECTION FOR A NEW TERM OF 4 YEARS.
2. IN THE LIGHT OF EXCO'S ADVICE, WE WOULD SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING
AMENDMENTS BE MADE TO NOTES 1 AND 3.
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (NOTE 1)
(A) PARAGRAPH 11: DELETE THE FINAL SENTENCE.
(3) REPLACE THE EXISTING PARAGRAPH 12 BY THE FOLLOWING :
**12.
THE QUESTION OF WHETHER ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL SHOULD BE ''STAGGERED BY HOLDING THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY AND ELECTORAL COLLEGE ELECTIONS IN DIFFERENT YEARS IS
ONE OF THE ISSUES ON WHICH THE PUBLIC HS BEING CONSULTED DURING THE 1987 REVIEW.
AN ADVANTAGE OF SUCH A SYSTEM IS THAT KS WOULD AVOID A POSSIBLE
BREAK ON THE CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT EVERY TIME ELECTIONS FOR A NEW LEGISLATURE WERE HELD. PROBLEMS WOULD ARISE, HOWEVER, IF THE LEGISLATURE WERE DISSOLVED FOR ANY REASON. UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES
MEMBERS OF THE NEW LEGISLATURE WOULD HAVE TO BE ELECTED, INITIALLY, FOR DIFFERENT TERMS OF OFFICE, IN ORDER TO RE-ESTABLISH THE SYNCHRONIZATION BETWEEN THE TERMS OF OFFICE OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS.
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113.