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OF 06095OZ JANUARY 87
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PERSONAL FOR LAYDEN, HKD, FROM ACTING GOVERNOR MIPT: 1987 REVIEW
FOLLOWING IS REVISED TEXT OF DRAFT PAPER.
BEGINS
HONG KONG : REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
INTRODUCTION
1.
THIS PAPER CONSIDERS THE PROBLEMS RAISED BY THE PRESENT TIMETABLE FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE 1987 REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG AND DISCUSSES THE OPTIONS FOR DEALING WITH THEM.
THE BRITISH AND CHINESE POSITIONS
2.
COMMITMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO PARLIAMENT AND TO THE HONG KONG PEOPLE THAT A REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WILL BE CONDUCTED IN 1987, THAT THERE WILL BE A PROCESS OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE BASIS OF A GREEN PAPER BEFORE PROPOSALS ARE PUT FORWARD IN A WHITE PAPER, AND THAT ISSUES LEFT OVER FROM THE SIMILAR 1984 EXERCISE WILL BE CONSIDERED, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE INTRODUCTION OF A DIRECTLY ELECTED ELEMENT INTO LEGCO.
3.
THE CHINESE REMAIN PROFOUNDLY SUSPICIOUS OF OUR MOTIVES AND INTENTIONS. THEY NOW APPEAR TO ACCEPT, ALBEIT RELUCTANTLY, THAT THE REVIEW MUST TAKE PLACE AND THAT THE GREEN PAPER MUST REFER TO DIRECT ELECTIONS. BUT THEY CONTINUE TO INSIST THAT NO DECISION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS BEFORE THE PROMULGATION OF THE BASIC LAW IN 1990. THEY HAVE ASKED TO SEE TEXTS OF THE GREEN AND WHITE PAPERS LONG ENOUGH IN ADVANCE OF PUBLICATION QUOTE TO PERMIT
STUDY UNQUOTE.
4.
A PARAMOUNT CONCERN OF THE CHINESE IS TO AVOID A POSITION IN WHICH OUR WHITE PAPER PROPOSES THE INTRODUCTION OF AN ELEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988. THEY CONSIDER THAT THIS WOULD PRE-EMPT DECISIONS BY THEM ON THE POST-1997 ARRANGEMENTS WHICH ARE TO BE ENSHRINED IN THE BASIC LAW, DETAILS OF WHICH WILL NOT HAVE BEEN DECIDED BY THE TIME THE WHITE PAPER IS PUBLISHED. THEY WOULD THEN
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