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11857
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THE PROBLEM OF TIMING
9. THE ABOVE TIMETABLES SHOW THAT ON THE PRESENT TIMETABLE WORK
ON THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW PROVISIONS ON POLITICAL
STRUCTURE WILL PROBABLY NOT BE CONCLUDED BY THE TIME THE WHITE
PAPER IS DUE TO BE PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER. IN ANY EVENT DRAFTING
OF THE WHITE PAPER WOULD HAVE TO UNDERTAKEN WITHOUT THE BENEFIT
OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE OUTCOME OF THE DECEMBER 1987 BLDC PLENARY, AT
WHICH THE RELEVANT BASIC LAW PROVISIONS MAY TAKE SPECIFIC FORM.
WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE BROAD DIRECTION WHICH THESE
PROVISIONS WILL TAKE MAY BY THEN HAVE BECOME CLEARER, THE
PROSPECTS FOR A SIMULTANEOUS EMERGENCE OF CLEAR AND COMPATIBLE
VIEWS IN THE BLDC AND THE REVIEW EXERCISE, PERMITTING AN OUTCOME
IN WHICH NEITHER SIDE APPEARS TO PRE-EMPT THE OTHER, HAVE
DIMINISHED.
THE TIMING OF 1987 REVIEW
10.
IN THE FACE OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS THE FOLLOWING BROAD
OPTIONS PRESENT THEMSELVES.
(A) RETAIN THE PRESENT TIMETABLE
11.
IF THE PRESENT TIMETABLE IS MAINTAINED IT WILL DEMONSTRATE
CLEARLY, BOTH WITHIN HONG KONG AND TO OUTSIDE OBSERVERS, THAT HMG
AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE FIRMLY IN CHARGE OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG, THAT GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IS BEING CARRIED ON EFFECTIVELY DESPITE THE DEATH OF SIR EDWARD YOUDE AND
THAT THE BRITISH SIDE IS DEALING FIRMLY WITH KNOWN CHINESE
MISGIVINGS ABOUT THE REVIEW. THE PROBLEMS OF TIMING REFERRED TO
IN PARAGRAPH 9 WILL HOWEVER ARISE. THERE WILL BE THE MAXIMUM RISK
OF INCOMPATABILITY AND HENCE OF POTENTIAL CONFRONTATION WITH THE
CHINESE SIDE.
(B) POSTPONE THE REVIEW TO 1988
12.
A SIGNIFICANT POSTPONEMENT OF THE REVIEW, PERHAPS BY A FULL
YEAR, WOULD IN THEORY CONSIDERABLY IMPROVE THE CHANCES OF
ACHIEVING COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN ITS OUTCOME AND THE FUTURE BASIC
LAW. THE DEATH OF SIR EDWARD YOUDE AND THE NEED TO ALLOW TIME
FOR THE NEW GOVERNOR TO SETTLE IN COULD THEORETICALLY BE USED AS
THE REASON FOR A DELAY.
HOWEVER THERE IS STILL NO GUARANTEE THAT THE DRAFT SECTIONS
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13.
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