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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1597
OF 18053OZ MAY 89
TOP
нко
HKD 301/1
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, PEKING
102700
MDHIAN 5191
FOR HKD
MIPT: HONG KONG BULL POINTS
SUGGESTED REDRAFT OF SECTION IV AS FOLLOWS :
IV :
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG
-
ALMOST HALF
BOTH HMG AND HKG FIRMLY COMMITTED TO STEADY DEVELOPMENT OF
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. REMARKABLE PROGRESS ALREADY MADE. WHEN JOINT DECLARATION WAS SIGNED IN 1984 THERE WERE NO ELECTED MEMBERS OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. NOW 26 MEMBERS
OF THE TOTAL ARE ELECTED FROM FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUTENCIES, COMPRISING THE MAJOR PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS, FROM ELECTORAL COLLEGE CONSTITUENCIES, COMPRISING THE MEMBERS OF THE 19 DISTRICT BOARDS, AND FROM THE TWO MUNICIPAL COUNCILS.
-
1987 REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG CONCLUDED THAT
PUBLIC OPINION WAS IN FAVOUR OF INTRODUCING A DIRECTLY ELECTED
ELEMENT INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BEFORE 1997, BUT WAS SHARPLY DIVIDED ON THE TIMING OF THIS CHANGE. IN VIEW OF THIS DIVISION OF OPINION, AND HAVING TAKEN INTO ACCOUT ALL THE ARGUEMENTS, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CONCLUDED THAT ON BALANCE IT WOULD BE RIGHT, AND IN LINE WITH THE WISHES OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, TO MAKE
THE NEXT MAJOR CONSITUTIONAL CHANGE IN 1991.
IN 1991 TEN SEATS WILL BE OPEN FOR DIRECT ELECTION FROM GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES, REPLACING TEN SEATS PRESENTLY ELECTED BY DISTRICT-BASED ELECTORAL COLLEGE CONSTITUENCIES.
AND THERE WILL BE FURTHER CHANGES BETWEEN NOW AND 1997. CONFIDENT
THAT BY 1997 HONG KONG WILL HAVE A WELL ESTABLISHED SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT CAPABLE OF FURTHER STEADY DEVELOPMENT IN
SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
DRAFT BASIC LAW ENSHRINES PRINCIPLE OF UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE AS
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