UNCLASSIFIED
00511
MDLIAN 1806
5. LEGCO WOULD HOLD A TWO-DAY DEBATE ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE ON FEBRUARY 28 AND MARCH 1, THE MEDIA (22.2) REPORTED. IT WAS AGREED THAT THE WORDING OF THE MOTION SHOULD BE: ''THAT THIS COUNCIL EXPRESSES DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE OMELCO CONSENSUS HAD NOT BEEN ADOPTED IN THE FORMULATION OF THE FUTURE POLITICAL MODEL BUT URGES THE COMMUNITY, IN THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG, TO BE UNITED IN ITS EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM.' HOWEVER, LEGCO MEMBER JIMMY MCGREGOR HAD SERVED NOTICE TO HIS COLLEAGUES THAT HE WISHED TO MOVE A STRONG-WORDED MOTION AT THE LEGCO SITTING.
6.
A PRO-TAIWAN GROUP, THE HONG KONG UNITED ASSOCIATION OF ALUMNI OF FREE CHINA (TAIWAN) UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES, WHICH WAS FORMED BY HONG KONG GRADUATES FROM TAIWAN, ISSUED A STATEMENT TO DENOUNCE THE REVISED DRAFT OF THE BL, THE MEDIA (23.2) REPORTED. THE PEKING- BACKED PAPERS CONTINUED TO COMMENT FAVOURABLY ON THE BASIC LAW. THE INDEPENDENT PAPERS, HOWEVER, WERE OF THE VIEW THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE WOULD NOT BE RESTORED BY THE REVISED DRAFT BL AS LONG AS POLITICAL SITUATION IN CHINA DID NOT IMPROVE.
POLITICAL REFORMS IN 1991
7.
THE GOVERNOR, SAID THAT DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1991 DIRECT ELECTIONS WERE EXPECTED TO BE ANNOUNCED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE MEDIA (27.2) REPORTED. IN AN EARLIER INTERVIEW WITH THE MEDIA (21.2), HE STRESSED THAT IF DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1991 PROVED TO BE A SUCCESS, THIS WOULD HELP HOLD FURTHER TALKS WITH CHINA ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1995. SOME REPORTS QUOTED HIM AS SAYING THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER ELECTING THE LEGCO PRESIDENT FROM AMONG LEGCO MEMBERS IN 1995.
NATIONALITY
8.
A STATEMENT FROM THE FOREIGN SECRETARY AND HOME SECRETARY DAVID WADDINGTON TO MPS, DATED FEBRUARY 9, THAT
THAT ''BRITAIN WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER FULL CONSULAR PROTECTION TO FULL BRITISH CITIZENS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD'' WAS CARRIED IN THE SCM POST AND THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL (24.2). THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE, BUT HOLDERS OF BDTC PASSPORTS WOULD NOT GET SUCH PROTECTION IN HONG KONG AND CHINA AS STIPULATED BY THE JD. IN A LETTER TO OMELCO MEMBERS, THEY SAID THAT IF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOUND THAT THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE MOVING TO THE UK AFTER GETTING THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE COUNTRY, IT WOULD CONSIDER DELAYING GRANTING SOME QUOTA UNDER THE ABODE RIGHTS