AUGUST 1987
DECEMBER 1987
1988
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8464
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POLITICAL STRUCTURE PLANNED.
FIFTH BLDC PLENARY. SUB-GROUP REPORT ON POLITICAL STRUCTURE TO BE DISCUSSED.
SIXTH BLDC PLENARY. SOME PRELIMINARY BASIC LAW PROVISIONS ON POLITICAL STRUCTURE MAY BE
DISCUSSED. BUT POSSIBLY NO MORE THAN A RANGE OF OPTIONS WILL BE IDENTIFIED.
PUBLICATION OF BASIC LAW. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE SECTION ON POLITICAL STRUCTURE WILL STILL CONSIST OF NO MORE THAN A RANGE OF OPTIONS.
THE TIMING OF THE 1987 REVIEW. OPTIONS
(A) THE PRESENT PLAN
7.
OUR PRESENT PLAN, WHICH IS ON PUBLIC RECORD, IS THAT THE GREEN PAPER SHOULD BE PUBLISHED IN APRIL OR MAY 1987: AFTER A PERIOD OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION A WHITE PAPER WOULD BE PUBLISHED AROUND THE END OF THE YEAR. THE KEY EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE WHITE PAPER WILL BE THE PRODUCTION OF THE REPORT OF THE SURVEY OFFICE ESTABLISHED TO COLLECT PUBLIC VIEWS, SCHEDULED FOR MID-OCTOBER, AND ITS DEBATE IN LEGCO AROUND EARLY NOVEMBER.
8.
IF WE MAINTAIN THIS TIMETABLE WE CAN DEMONSTRATE IN HONG KONG THAT GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IS BEING CARRIED ON EFFECTIVELY DESPITE THE DEATH OF THE GOVERNOR, AND THAT WE ARE DEALING FIRMLY WITH THE KNOWN CHINESE MISGIVINGS ABOUT THE REVIEW. HOWEVER THE RISK OF CONFRONTATION WITH THE CHINESE IS MAXIMISED. THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER WILL COME VERY SHORTLY AFTER THE DECEMBER 1987 BLDC PLENARY AT WHICH, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE RELEVANT BASIC LAW PROVISIONS MAY BE DISCUSSED. IT WILL BE DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE IN DRAFTING THE WHITE PAPER TO TAKE THE BLDC DISCUSSIONS FULLY INTO ACCOUNT: CERTAINLY THE CRUCIAL LEGCO DEBATE WILL COME TOO EARLY TO DO SO. A FURTHER PRACTICAL DISADVANTAGE, ALBEIT ONE OF A LESSER ORDER, IS THAT A NEW GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG IS LIKELY TO TAKE UP OFFICE ONLY VERY SHORTLY BEFORE THE GREEN PAPER IS PUBLISHED.
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