CONFIDENTIAL
077743
MDHIAN 5033
5. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS REPORTED THAT LOCAL DRAFTER RAYSON HUANG HAD INVITED 10 HK DRAFTERS TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON THE MAINSTREAM MODEL ON 3RD FEBRUARY.
6. THE MEDIA ALSO REPORTED EXTENSIVELY THAT DOROTHY LIU WOULD MEET OTHER LOCAL DRAFTERS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF POLITICAL GROUPS TO DISCUSS THE SEPARATE VOTE COUNTING MECHANISM. THE GROUPS INVITED INCLUDE HE NEW HK ALLIANCE (HEADED BY T.S. LO, THE ORIGINAL SPONSOR OF THE BI-CAMERAL MODEL), THE MODERATES, THE LIBERALS, AND THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL GROUP. SOME PAPERS REPORTED THAT THE LIBERALS WOULD BOYCOTT THE MEETING BECAUSE THE QUESTION OF PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA. ACCORDING TO THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL, LIU WISHED TO CALL THE MEETING IN HER CAPACITY AS A DRAFTER AND USE BLCC ACCOMMODATION, BUT THIS WAS NOT ''APPROVED''
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7. LIU ABSTAINED WHEN THE SPECIAL GROUP TOOK A VOTE ON SEPARATE VOTE-COUNTING. WE BELIEVE HER AIM IN CALLING THE MEETING IS TO CREATE THE IMPRESSION THAT LOCAL OPINION IS SPLIT ON THIS ISSUE AND POSSIBLY ALSO TO PERSUADE SOME PRO-CHINA ELEMENTS TO GO ALONG WITH A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE SPECIAL GROUP'S PROPOSAL. THERE ARE ALREADY SIGNS THAT SOME OF THE G89 MEMBERS ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT SEPARATE VOTE COUNTING FOR PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS AND MOTIONS. (SEE PARA. 4 OF OUR TELNO. 392).
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8. WAH KIU YAT PO, QUOTING SOURCES (NOT IDENTIFIED), REPORTED THAT CHINA AND BRITAIN HAD EXCHANGED VIEWS ON HK'S FUTURE POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS: IF THE BLDC PLENARY SESSION DECIDED THAT THERE WOULD ONLY BE 18 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1997, IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, FOR THE SAKE OF CONVERGENCE, WOULD INTRODUCE 15 SEATS IN THE 1991 LEGCO AND 18 SEATS IN 1995. HOWEVER, CREDIBILITY OF AND CONFIDENCE IN THE HKG MIGHT BE SERIOUSLY DAMAGED IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS THEREFORE FIGHTING ACTIVELY FOR MORE DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE SAR LEGISLATURE, THE PAPER SAID.
9. SEPARATELY, WE HAVE LEARNT FROM AN INTERLOCUTOR THAT 9 LOCAL PROFESSIONAL BODIES WILL BE SENDING A LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER ON 6TH FEBRUARY TO VOICE THEIR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION, THE DIFFERENTIAL VOTING SYSTEM AND THE NATIONALITY RESTRICTIONS ON LEGCO MEMBERSHIP ADOPTED BY THE BLDC SPECIAL GROUP. WE HAVE SEEN A DRAFT OF THE LETTER WHICH ASKS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ''TO ENSURE THAT A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IS ENSHRINED IN THE BASIC LAW WHICH COMMANDS THE SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG
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CONFIDENTIAL