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UNCLASSIFIED
kama zərərkən Kiran N, Bal path level með nokku vo námestie de la Muthuatan
126033
MDLIAN 9686
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR NEXT YEAR AND THE COMPOSITION OF THE 1991 LEGCO. THE REPORTS PLAYED UP THE ARRANGEMENTS UNDER WHICH THE NUMBER OF LEGCO SEATS WOULD BE INCREASED TO 60 IN 1991, WITH 18 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS, 21 FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SEATS, 17 SEATS FOR APPOINTED MEMBERS, THREE SEATS FOR EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS AND ONE SEAT FOR A DEPUTY PRESIDENT. NINE DOUBLE-SEAT CONSTITUENCIES WOULD BE CREATED IN THE TERRITORY FOR RETURNING THE 18 DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS.
9. REACTIONS TO THE ARRANGEMENTS WERE MIXED WITH THE LIBERALS CLAIMING THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS WERE DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE INFLUENCE OF THE LIBERALS IN THE LEGISLATURE WHILE OTHERS FELT THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS WERE APPROPRIATE. MOST LEADER WRITERS OF THE INDEPENDENT PAPERS FELT THAT THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS WERE ACCEPTABLE. HOWEVER, SOME OF THEM QUESTIONED WHY THE TWO MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND HEUNG YEE KUK WERE INCLUDED IN THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. THEY ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES A CLEAR DEFINITION. PEKING-RUN WEN WEI PO (27.3) NOTED THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS WOULD ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CONTROL OVER LEGCO. THE PAPER SAID THAT THIS WOULD HELP MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.
10. ZHOU NAN SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NOT YET STUDIED THE GOVERNMENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS AND THE COMPOSITION OF LEGCO FOR NEXT YEAR, THE MEDIA (22.3) REPORTED. THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD EXPRESS ITS VIEWS IF IT FELT THAT THERE WAS SUCH A NEED, MR ZHOU SAID.
BASIC LAW
11. MARTIN LEE PLANNED TO MOVE A LEGCO DEBATE ON THE BL AFTER IT WAS PROMULGATED BY THE NPC, THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS AND THE SCM POST (23.3) REPORTED. LEE WOULD PRESS BRITAIN TO EXPLAIN WHY THE OMELCO PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE HONG KONG POLITICAL STRUCTURE HAD BEEN IGNORED. ACCORDING TO THE ORIENTAL DAILY, THE MOTION WOULD BE WORDED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO INDICATE THAT THE BL DID NOT GIVE FULL EXPRESSION TO THE JD AND TO EXPRESS THE HOPE FOR AMENDMENTS. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT LEGCO MEMBERS WERE DIVIDED OVER WHETHER IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THEM TO HOLD A DEBATE ON THE BL.
PRIME MINISTER
12. QUOTING FCO SOURCES, SEVERAL PAPERS (26.3) REPORTED THAT MRS THATCHER HAD MET CHINESE AMBASSADOR JI CHAOZHU FOR SECRET TALKS ON ISSUES RELATED TO HONG KONG, INCLUDING THE VBP PROBLEM AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY. THE SOURCES SAID THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST
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