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164413 MDLIAN 0244
SEATS WOULD BE POSSIBLE ONLY IF THE BASIC LAW WAS TO BE REVISED. HOWEVER, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE BL BEFORE 1997.
OMELCO
8. OMELCO ISSUED A STATEMENT ON FEBRUARY 16 ON THE POLITICAL MODEL PROPOSED BY THE BLDC PLENUM. MOST REPORTS (17.2) PLAYED UP THE FACT
THAT OMELCO MEMBERS REGRETTED THAT THE PROPOSAL HAD FALLEN SHORT OF
THE PACE RECOMMENDED BY OMELCO. OMELCO WAS TO DEBATE THE REVISED
POLITICAL MODEL ON FEBRUARY 28. HOWEVER, THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (20.2) SAID THAT THE DEBATE MIGHT BE POSTPONED. SENIOR LEGCO MEMBER
ALLEN LEE TOLD THE PAPER THAT HE WONDERED WHETHER IT WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE TO HOLD A DEBATE ON THE BL BEFORE ITS PROMULGATION.
LOCAL REACTION
9. SEVERAL LOCAL GROUPS, INCLUDING THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL GROUP, THE MODERATES AND THE NEW HK ALLIANCE, SAID THAT THE REVISED BL WAS ACCEPTABLE. HOWEVER, THE LIBERALS, INCLUDING MARTIN LEE, SZETO WAH, DENOUNCED THE DOCUMENT AND URGED HK PEOPLE TO FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY IN THEIR OWN WAYS. THE JOINT COMMITTEE PROPOSED TO CONDUCT A REFERENDUM TO TEST THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE REVISED BASIC LAW AMONG THE PUBLIC. BOTH THE HK CIVIL SERVANTS' GENERAL UNION AND THE SENIOR NON-EXPATRIATE OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION WERE OF THE VIEW THAT APART FROM THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE, THE OVERALL BL WAS ACCEPTABLE.
10. A TOTAL OF 10,000 STUDENTS FROM 12 TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS TOOK PART IN A CLASS BOYCOTT CALLED BY THE HK FEDERATION OF STUDENTS, THE MEDIA (17.2) REPORTED. SOME 2,000 STUDENTS STAGED A MARCH TO THE NCNA HK BRANCH AFTERWARDS TO PROTEST AGAINST THE BL. ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE TOOK PART IN ANOTHER MARCH ORGANISED BY THE JOINT COMMITTEE FOR THE PROMOTION OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN PROTEST AGAINST THE REVISED BL.
11. SEVERAL PAPERS (18.2) REPORTED FROM LONDON THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ANGLO-CHINESE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP, ROBERT ADLEY, WELCOMED THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT ON THE TERRITORY'S FUTURE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. TA KUNG PAO (18.2) REPORTED THAT THE LEADER OF THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS, DR DAVID OWEN, SAID THAT ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT LIKE THE BL, HE SAW A RAY OF HOPE FOR HK'S FUTURE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMENDED VERSION. THE PAPERS (18.2) NOTED THAT SEVERAL UK PAPERS CRITICISED THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT OVER THE TERRITORY'S
FUTURE POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS.
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