CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 18O9OOZ FCO
TELNO 3623
OF 15110OZ NOVEMBER 91
CONFIDENTIAL
Низовк
CORRECTED VE
18
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
CORRECTED PARA 4
LEGCO: SENIOR MEMBER
25A
juu
у идио
(24)
175555 MDHIAN 2345
TOP COPY QDIST?
Redacted under FOI exemption section 27(1)
1. IN A SURPRISE MOVE, ALLEN LEE HAS TODAY STEPPED DOWN AS SENIOR MEMBER OF LEGCO. HE ANNOUNCED THIS, WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, TO THE LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON.
2.
MORE RECENTLY
HE HAS BEEN PUBLICLY ATTACKED BY ELSIE TU AND LEONG CHE-HUNG FOR HIS ASSOCIATION WITH THE CO-OPERATIVE RESOURCES CENTRE, A GROUP OF GENERALLY LIKE-MINDED LEGCO MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN SHARING OFFICE ACCOMMODATION AND SECRETARIAL BACK-UP. MARTIN LEE HAS ALSO CRITICISED THIS CENTRE AS A POLITICAL PARTY IN DISGUISE.
3. IN TELLING THE IN-HOUSE MEETING THAT HE HAD DECIDED TO STEP DOWN, ALLEN LEE EXPLAINED THE NATURE OF THE CENTRE AND HIS OWN NON-LEADING ROLE IN IT. HE SUGGESTED TO THE IN-HOUSE MEETING THAT A GOOD IMPARTIAL AND EXPERIENCED SUCCESSOR AS SENIOR MEMBER WOULD BE JOHN SWAINE. THE IN-HOUSE MEETING AGREED ALMOST UNANIMOUSLY. ALLEN LEE WILL NOW PUT THIS SUGGESTION FORMALLY TO JOHN SWAINE.
4. IT IS IN FACT UNLIKELY THAT JOHN SWAINE WILL BE WILLING TO TAKE UP THE ROLE OF SENIOR MEMBER. IT WOULD IN MANY WAYS BE INCOMPATIBLE WITH HIS DUTIES AS DEPUTY PRESIDENT. I HAVE DISCUSSED THE MATTER BRIEFLY WITH HIM AND SHARE THE VIEW THAT THERE IS AN INHERENT INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN THE ROLES OF SENIOR MEMBER AND DEPUTY PRESIDENT. I HAVE ENCOURAGED HIM TO RESPOND INITIALLY BY SAYING THAT HE WILL HAVE TO REFLECT CAREFULLY BUT THAT DOUBLING IN THE TWO ROLES WOULD POSE SOME VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEMS. HE COULD THEN RESPOND MORE FORMALLY EARLY NEXT WEEK.
5. IF JOHN SWAINE DOES, AS I EXPECT, TURN DOWN THE INVITATION TO
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