RESTRICTED
176607 MDLIAN 3695
BL WOULD NOT BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED BEFORE JULY 1, 1997, ALL MATTERS INVOLVING THE TRANSFER OF ADMINISTRATION AND THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE SHOULD BE HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPIRIT
OF THE BL IN ORDER TO AVOID ADVERSE EFFECTS ON THE MAINTENANCE OF HK'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, THE MEDIA (7.4) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE.
VISIT BY FCO MINISTER
9. THE MEDIA (8 10.4) ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE VISIT BY THE FCO MINISTER WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR HK. MR MAUDE TOLD NEWSMEN ON HIS ARRIVAL THAT THE MAIN PURPOSE OF HIS VISIT WAS TO DEAL WITH ISSUES RELATING TO THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE, THE VBP PROBLEM, THE BL AND THE FUTURE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE TERRITORY.
1991 ELECTIONS
10. SENIOR LEGCO MEMBER ALLEN LEE SAID THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXCO AND LEGCO SHOULD BE CHANGED AFTER 1991, THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (4.4) REPORTED. MR LEE SAID THAT THE NUMBER OF EXCO SEATS SHOULD BE INCREASED WITH THE MAJORITY OF EXCO MEMBERS TO BE APPOINTED FROM AMONG LEGCO MEMBERS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN TIES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNCILS. HE ALSO BELIEVED THAT THE APPOINTMENTS SHOULD REFLECT THE LEVEL OF INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS GROUPS WITHIN LEGCO. HE SAID THAT EXCO SHOULD BE CREATED AS THE HIGHEST DECISION- MAKING AUTHORITY. MR LEE SAID THAT DUAL MEMBERSHIP OF LEGCO AND EXCO WOULD FACILITATE COMMUNICATION AND RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNCILS AND WOULD ENSURE THAT GOVERNMENT BILLS AND POLICIES WOULD BE EASILY ADOPTED.
11.
THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, TOLD REPORTS THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EXISTING ELECTORAL LAWS, NPC DELEGATES COULD NOT STAND IN LEGCO ELECTIONS IN 1991, THE PAPERS (4.4) REPORTED. WHETHER THEY COULD TAKE PART IN THE 1995 ELECTIONS WOULD DEPEND ON FURTHER CHANGES TO THE ELECTORAL PROVISIONS. HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT DELEGATES TO THE CPPCC WOULD STAND IN THE ELECTIONS.
12.
LEGCO MEMBER MARTIN LEE WAS ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF A POLITICAL GROUP FORMED BY THE LIBERALS, THE UNITED DEMOCRATS OF HK, THE MEDIA (9.4) REPORTED IN WIDE COVERAGE. IN DECLARING ITS MANIFESTO, MR LEE SAID THAT THE GROUP WAS A REGIONAL POLITICAL ORGANISATION AND WOULD CONCENTRATE ON HK AFFAIRS. IT WOULD NOT GET INVOLVED IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES IN THE MAINLAND. HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT
3
PAGE RESTRICTED