SECRET
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 109
OF 131715Z JANUARY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
SECRET
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
0140
143551
MDHOAN 6551
CHIB 01/1
15 JAN 1988
MIPT: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT:
OUR SUGGESTED REDRAFT OF
1.
AS FOLLOWS:
BEGINS:
WHITE PAPER
PARA 1 OF THE SPEAKING NOTE IS
DURING HIS VISIT TO PEKING LAST DECEMBER, GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG
BRIEFED VICE FOREIGN MINISTER ZHOU NAN AND MR LI HOU ON RESULTS
OF SURVEY OF PUBLIC OPINION ON REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. GOVERNOR CONFIRMED THAT, AS
ANTICIPATED, SURVEY OFFICE REPORT SHOWED OF ALL THOSE WHO HAD
EXPRESSED A VIEW ON INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO LEGCO A
SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY WERE IN FAVOUR OF INTRODUCING
AN ELEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
BEFORE 1997, BUT VIEWS SHARPLY DIVIDED ON WHETHER THIS SHOULD BE
IN 1988 OR LATER. ALTHOUGH NO DECISIONS
HE
HAD BEEN TAKEN, OUTCOME SUGGESTED IT MIGHT BE SENSIBLE TO INTRODUCE DIRECTLY ELECTED ELEMENT IN 1991 RATHER THAN 1988.
SAID A LIKELY SCENARIO WOULD BE 10 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS ΤΟ
REPLACE THE SEATS CURRENTLY FILLED BY INDIRECT ELECTIONS FROM
DISTRICT BOARDS. IN SKETCHING OUT THIS SCENARIO HE ASSUMED THAT
BASIC LAW WOULD PROVIDE FOR ELEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO POST-1997 SAR LEGISLATURE. THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT WE WOULD HOPE
TO PROCEED ON THIS BASIS AFTER A SUITABLY WORDED DRAFT OF THE
BASIC LAW, OR A MAINSTREAM VIEW CONTAINED IN IT, HAD BEEN
PUBLISHED. THIS WOULD ENABLE US TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATE REFERENCE
TO THE DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW IN THE WHITE PAPER.
HOWE
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