RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 213

OF 170815Z JANUARY 90

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP

RESTRICTED

HKB

012 "

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

24 JAN1990

IDSSK DELAQEENR

INDEX

LG HONG KONG

I.

32

023474 MDLIAN 0926

fm.

(PEKING PLEASE PASS COPY TO K. HO VISITING)

BASIC LAW: SAR POLITICAL SYSTEM: PRESS REPORTS

TODAY'S PRESS REPORTED WIDELY REMARKS BY MAINLAND DRAFTERS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGCO SEATS AND CONVERGENCE OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE, MADE ON THE EVE OF THE MEETING OF THE BLDC SPECIAL GROUP ON POLITICAL SYSTEM.

2.

TA KUNG QUOTED LU PING AS SAYING THAT THE ELECTION COMMITTEE TO RETURN SOME LEGCO MEMBERS COULD BE ESTABLISHED IN AS EARLY AS 1995, IF THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS PRE-97 WOULD COVERAGE WITH THOSE TO BE STIPULATED IN THE BASIC LAW.

3. LU ALSO HINTED THAT THE DECEMBER PROPOSAL OF THE SPECIAL GROUP FOR 18 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS COULD BE RECONSIDERED, BUT SAID THE PACE IN THE 4-4-2 MODEL WOULD BE TOO FAST. IN ANY CASE, THE SPECIAL GROUP'S CONCLUSION WOULD NOT BE FINAL, AS IT WOULD STILL NEED APPROVAL BY THE BLDC PLENUM THROUGH A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY.

4. LU ALSO SAID THAT WHETHER THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS FOR THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE WOULD BE INCREASED SUBSEQUENTLY WOULD NEED FURTHER DISCUSSION. A FINAL VIEW NAD NOT BEEN TAKEN.

5.

MAINLAND CO-CONVENOR OF THE SPECIAL GROUP, XIAO WEIYUN, SAID THAT HE WOULD FOLLOW THE MAINSTREAM OPINION OF THE SPECIAL GROUP ON THE PACE OF DIRECT ELECTION, ADDING THAT THE DECEMBER PROPOSAL COULD BE FURTHER DISCUSSED.

WE ARE REPORTING SEPARATELY LU'S COMMENTS ON THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE.

6.

WILSON

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1

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