UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 310
OF 23100OZ JANUARY 20
UNCLASSIFIED
HKB 30111
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
20 FEB 1990
DECK OFF!:2
INWE
REGISTRY
Action Taken
043455
MDLIAN 2495
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK INFO ROUTINE HKGO SAN FRANCISCO, HKGO BRUSSELS, HKGO GENEVA INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP
SUMMARY
1. THE MEDIA ACCORDED PROMINENT AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO NEWS RELATING TO THE MEETINGS OF THE BLDC'S SPECIAL GROUP ON THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW.
BLDC'S POLITICAL MODEL
2. THE GROUP ADOPTED BY A MAJORITY VOTE A POLITICAL MODEL PROPOSED BY MAINLAND DRAFTER XU CHONGDE, THE MEDIA (21.1) REPORTED. UNDER THIS MODEL, THE SO-CALLED 'MAINSTREAM FORMULA', 30 PER CENT OF THE SEATS OF THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE WOULD BE RETURNED BY DIRECT ELECTIONS, 50 PER CENT FROM FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND 20 PER CENT BY AN ELECTORAL COMMITTEE. THE SPECIAL GROUP RESOLVED THAT A MECHANISM FOR COUNTING VOTES SEPARATELY WOULD BE ADOPTED FOR ALL
THE BILLS AND MOTIONS TO BE PROPOSED IN THE LEGISLATURE. MEMBERS AGREED THAT THE PROPORTION OF EXPATRIATE LEGISLATORS SHOULD NOT EXCEED 15 PER CENT. THE BASIC LAW WOULD INCLUDE A PROVISION STATING
THAT THE SAR LEGISLATURE WOULD BE FORMED BY PERMANENT RESIDENTS IN
HONG KONG WHO WERE CHINESE NATIONALS WITHOUT THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
3. IN THE SECOND TERM OF THE LEGISLATURE, THE NUMBER OF SEATS TO BE FILLED BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WOULD REMAIN THE SAME. DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGISLATORS WOULD BE INCREASED TO 40 PER CENT, WHILE LEGISLATORS TO BE RETURNED BY THE ELECTORAL COMMITTEE WOULD BE REDUCED TO 10 PER CENT. IN THE THIRD TERM, THE ELECTORAL COMMITTEE WOULD BE SCRAPPED, LEAVING ALL THE SEATS OF THE LEGISLATURE TO BE
EQUALLY FILLED BY MEMBERS TO BE RETURNED BY DIRECT ELECTIONS AND
FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.
4. THE LOCAL CO-CONVENER OF THE SPECIAL GROUP, DR RAYMOND WU, SAID THAT HONG KONG DRAFTERS WERE FORCED TO ACCEPT THE MODEL BECAUSE
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