SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 543
OF 08100OZ FEBRUARY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
SECRET
047313
HIAN 6815
TOP COP Q DIST ?
FINAL PART OF TWO
(IV) COMPOSITION OF LEGCO
(A) LINE TO TAKE
PUBLIC OPINION
1988. GOVERNMENT
ON QUESTION OF EXISTING COMPOSITION OF LEGCO
GE ERALLY FAVOURED GRADUAL APPROACH TO CHANGE IN
HAS THEREFORE CONCLUDED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO MAJOR CHANGE TO
EXISTING COMPOSITION OF LEGCO IN 1988. FURTHER CHANGE WILL BE
NECESSARY IN LONGER TERM: LEGISLATURE OF FUTURE SAR WILL BE FULLY ELECTED AND, WHEN POST-1997 CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE CLEARER, WILL BE NECESSARY TO TAKE SYSTEMATIC STEPS TO BRING COMPOSITION OF
LEGCO INTO LINE WITH THAT OF FUTURE SAR LEGISLATURE SO AS TO ACHIEVE
CONTINUITY.
2.
IN THE MEANTIME FURTHER DEVELOPMENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN 1988 TO
MAKE SYSTEM MORE REPRESENTATIVE. TWO MORE SEATS WILL BE ELECTED
BY EXPANDED FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND NUMBER OF APPOINTED MEMBERS
CORRESPONDINGLY REDUCED BY TWO (BRINGING PROPORTION OF FC ELECTED
MEMBERS TO 25 PERCENT). ESTIMATED THAT SOME 20,000 MORE PEOPLE WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN 1988 LEGCO ELECTIONS.
3.
(B) DEFENSIVE
(OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS) WHY LIMIT INCREASE IN FC ELECTED MEMBERS
TO ONLY TWO? OTHER GROUPS ALSO APPEAR TO MEET CRITERIA? (CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS) NEARLY 50 DIFFERENT GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS
SOUGHT RECOGNITION WITHIN FC SYSTEM. CLEARLY NOT POSSIBLE TO ACCOMMODATE ALL REQUESTS, BUT EACH ONE LOOKED AT CAREFULLY IN LIGHT OF CRITERIA SET OUT IN PARA 41 OF WHITE PAPER. AS TO BE EXPECTED
SOME GROUPS HAD BETTER CASE THAN OTHERS. AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDER- ATION, GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED THAT TWO GROUPS SHOULD BE INCLUDED
AT THIS STAGE (I.E. ACCOUNTANTS AND NURSING AND PARAMEDICAL
PROFESSIONS). FACT THAT PARTICULAR GROUP HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED ON
THIS OCCASION DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN IT IS NOT CONSIDERED
IMPORTANT OR THAT IT IS RULED OUT FOR THE FUTURE.
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