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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
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OF 08100OZ FEBRUARY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
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PART ONE OF TWO
MIPT: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: WHITE PAPER: LINE TO TAKE BRIEF
THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT:
WHITE PAPER:
THE WAY FORWARD
LINE TO TAKE BRIEF
(I) GENERAL
(A) LINE TO TAKE
HRB
रु
011/1
(
9FEB 1988
WHITE PAPER MARKS SIGNIFICANT STEP IN DIRECTION OF MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. CHARTS COURSE OF DEVELOP- MENT BETWEEN NOW AND 1991 WHEN, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THERE WILL BE DIRECT ELECTIONS TO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THIS FAR-REACHING AND IMPORTANT STEP WILL BE TAKEN ONLY SIX YEARS AFTER INTRODUCTION, FOR THE FIRST TIME, OF ELECTED MEMBERS TO LEGCO IN 1985.
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2. PUBLICATION OF WHITE PAPER FOLLOWS PERIOD OF EXTENSIVE PUBLIC CONSULTATION RESPONSE TO 1987 GREEN PAPER UNPRECEDENTED: SURVEY OFFICE RECEIVED OVER 131,000 WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TOGETHER WITH RESULTS OF 168 PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS AND 21 SIGNATURE CAMPAIGNS, COMPARED WITH 364 SUBMISSIONS FOR 1984 GREEN PAPER. VIEWS EXPRESSED SHOWED GREAT INTEREST AMONG HONG KONG PEOPLE IN MOVING TOWARDS MORE DIRECTLY ELECTED SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, BUT BALANCED BY CONFIDENCE IN PRESENT SYSTEM WHICH HAS SERVED HONG KONG WELL. CLEAR WISH THAT CHANGE SHOULD BE STEADY AND GRADUAL RATHER THAN SUDDEN.
3.
DECISIONS IN WHITE PAPER HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND APPROVED BY UK MINISTERS. THEY TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF VIEWS OF PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND ARE MADE WITH BEST INTERESTS OF COMMUNITY IN MIND. MAIN AIMS OF GOVERNMENT IN PERIOD UP TO 1997 ARE THAT
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