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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 4647
OF 08110OZ DECEMBER 87
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
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HKB. 011/2
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15 DEC 1987
672
033410
MDHIAN 9536
TOP COPY Q DI 7
OUR TELNO 207 TO PEKING : 1987 REVIEW THE WHITE PAPER :
DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS
PARA 9 OF TUR RECORDED EXCO'S UC MEMBERS SHOULD CEASE TO BE
BOARDS AND THAT, INSTEAD, EACH A REPRESENTATIVE MEMBER TO THE
BY THE REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING MEMBER FROM SERVING ALSO AS AN
VERSA).
ADVICE THAT, AS FROM MARCH 1989, EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF URBAN DISTRICT
URBAN DISTRICT BOARD SHOULD ELECT UC. (THIS WOULD BE ACCOMPANIED
LEGAL IMPEDIMENT PREVENTING A DB ELECTED MEMBER ON THE UC, AND VICE
2. WE HAVE SINCE. EXAMINED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ADVICE. WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT, IF THE CHANGE IS TO BE MADE IN 1989, WE MUST ANNOUNCE OUR INTENTIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND, IN ANY CASE, NO LATER THAN EARLY JANUARY NEXT YEAR WHEN NOMINATIONS WILL BE OPENED
FOR THE DB ELECTIONS TO BE HELD ON 10 MARCH 1988. THE REASON IS
THAT, IF THEY ARE TO LOSE THEIR EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSHIP OF DBS IN 1989, A NUMBER OF UC MEMBERS MAY WANT TO STAND FOR THE NEXT DB ELECTIONS, IN ORDER TO RETAIN THEIR DISTRICT POWER BASE. THEY HAVE INDEED BEEN PRESSING FOR AN EARLY INDICATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT
AS TO WHETHER THEIR EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSHIP OF DBS WILL BE CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THE 1987 REVIEW. IF WE DECLINE TO GIVE THEM SUCH AN
INDICATION BEFORE THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER IN EARLY FEBRUARY, THEY WILL HAVE MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY OF CONTESTING THE 1988 DB ELECTIONS: ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY WOULD PROBABLY NOT WISH TO STAND FOR THE 1988 DB ELECTIONS IF THE PRESENT LAW, WHICH REQUIRES THEM TO VACATE THEIR UC SEATS IF THEY ARE ELECTED TO A DB, IS NOT CHANGED. IF THEY WERE SUBSEQUENTLY TO LEARN FROM THE WHITE
PAPER THAT THEIR SEATS VIA THE UC TO THE DISTRICT BOARDS ARE TO BE DENIED, THERE WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BE ACCUSATIONS OF FOUL PLAY.
3. WE HAVE ACCORDINGLY SOUGHT FURTHER ADVICE FROM EXCO TODAY.
MEMBERS CONFIRMED THAT THEIR ADVICE REMAINED AS BEFORE, AND ACCEPTED THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF OUR INTENTIONS SHOULD BE MADE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. MEMBERS RECOGNISED THAT THIS WOULD MEAN MAKING PUBLIC OUR DECISIONS ON A PARTICULAR PART OF THE 1987 REVIEW PACKAGE IN ADVANCE
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