CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 012/1
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 147 7
or 10065OZ MAY 89
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
ок
053716
MDLIAN 9521
TOP COPY Q DIST?
BASIC LAW: VISIT OF FIRST DRAFTERS' DELEGATION (20 APRIL
ROUND UP
SUMMARY
3 MAY):
1. MODEST MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE VISIT. ''MODERATES'' PROPOSE ALTERNATIVE TIMETABLES FOR ELECTION OF CE BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE AND EXPRESS VIEWS ON LEGCO COMPOSITION: G89 PRESS FOR ELECTION COMMITTEE FOR FIRST AND SECOND CE'S TO BE OF SAME COMPOSITION: ''LIBERALS'' EFFECTIVELY BOYCOTT DISCUSSIONS WITH DRAFTERS. GENERAL PUBLIC REMAIN
APATHETIC TO THE SECOND DRAFT.
DETAIL
2. THE TWO-WEEK VISIT OF THE FIRST DELEGATION OF MAINLAND BASIC LAW
DRAFTERS ENDED ON 3 MAY. MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE VISIT WAS MODERATE.
1
INTEREST GROUPS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE 'MODERATES' AND THE
G89, WERE LESS THAN FORTHCOMING IN EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS.
POLITICAL SYSTEM
3. DISCUSSIONS ON THE POLITICAL SYSTEM OF THE SAR DOMINATED THE VISIT. BOTH THE ''MODERATES' AND THE G89 PUT IN WRITING TO THE MAINLAND DRAFTERS THEIR LATEST POSITIONS ON THE POST
POLITICAL STRUCTURE.
MODERATES
-
1997
4. THE ''MODERATES SUBMITTED THE FIRST DRAFT OF THEIR POSITION
PAPER ON THE POST-1997 POLITICAL SYSTEM TO THE DRAFTERS ON
27 APRIL. AMONGST OTHER THINGS IT FLOATS ALTERNATIVES FOR A TIMETABLE LEADING TO ELECTION OF THE CE BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE. THESE ARE :
(I) THAT THE CE SHOULD BE RETURNED BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE WITH
EFFECT FROM THE THIRD TERM. OR
(II) THAT THE CE SHOULD BE DIRECTLY ELECTED BEGINNING FROM THE THIRD TERM UNLESS THIS IS OBJECTED TO BY MORE THAN HALF OF LEGCO, AFTER A REVIEW OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM IN THE SECOND TERM. DIRECT
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