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MDH..N 4785
Redacted under FOI exemption sections 27 (1)(a), (c), (d)
(B) PARA. 3: WE AGREE WITH THE CHANGE PROPOSED.
(C) PARA. h WE PRESUME YOU ARE REFERRING TO THE LAST PHRASE OF PARA. 4(B), I.E. ''SHOULD BE AS REPRESENTATIVE AS POSSIBLE'', AND AGREE THAT IT SHOULD FORM A NEW SUB-PARAGRAPH.
HONG KONG DRAFTERS' POSITION
2. AS REPORTED IN OUR TELNO 277, OF THE SIX HONG KONG DRAFTERS WHO ATTENDED THE SPECIAL GROUP MEETING, FOUR VOTED IN SUPPORT OF THE NATIONALITY/RIGHT OF ABODE RESTRICTIONS (WITH ONE AGAINST AND ONE ABSTENTION): ON SEPARATE VOTING, SIMON LI WAS IN FAVOUR, DOROTHY LIU ABSTAINED AND THE OTHER FOUR LOCAL DRAFTERS VOTED AGAINST.
3. AS FOR THE OTHER LOCAL DRAFTERS, SEVERAL HAVE PUBLICITY VOICED IN GENERAL TERMS THEIR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE BLDC SPECIAL GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS, IN PARTICULAR THOSE ON SEPARATE VOTING, BUT HAVE NOT ADVANCED ANY SPECIFIC ALTERNATIVES. THEY HAVE SAID LITTLE TO THE MEDIA ABOUT THE GEC. ON NATIONALITY/RIGHT OF ABODE RESTRICTIONS, THEY HAVE NOT INDICATED THEIR POSITION IN PUBLIC.
4. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BLCC WILL BE MEETING NEXT WEEK (EITHER 6TH OR 10TH FEBRUARY) TO CONSIDER A MOTION TO ''CENSURE'* THE MAINSTREAM MODEL, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE G89 ELEMENTS ARE LIKELY TO FOCUS THEIR OBJECTIONS ON SEPARATE VOTE COUNTING. THEIR VIEWS APPEAR, HOWEVER, TO BE SPLIT: SOME FAVOUR TOTAL REMOVAL, OTHERS ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT SEPARATE VOTE COUNTING FOR PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS AND MOTIONS AS WELL AS AMENDMENTS TO GOVERNMENT BILLS INTRODUCED BY MEMBERS. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PERSUADE THE LATTER THAT MEMBERS' AMENDMENTS TO GOVERNMENT BILLS SHOULD NOT/NOT BE SUBJECT TO SEPARATE VOTE COUNTING, AND THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THEY MAY TAKE THIS ONBOARD. ON THE TRIGGER MECHANISM, THEY ARE LIKELY TO PROPOSE A FIGURE LESS THAN THE ONE-THIRD WE HAVE IN MIND.
5. AS TO NATIONALITY/RIGHT OF ABODE RESTRICTIONS, OUR ASSESSMENT IS
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