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pa.
Constit serpe
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1489
MDLIAN 5699
HLB 012/2
TOP COPY Q DIST?
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FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO
2128
OF 170946Z AUGUST 92
(AMENDED DISTRIBUTION)
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
SEPARATION OF EXCO AND LEGCO: PRESS REPORTS
SUMMARY
1. FOUR PROMINENT PRO-CHINA PERSONALITIES COMMENTED POSITIVELY ON THE IDEA OF DELINKING EXCO AND LEGCO WITH SOME OTHERS EXPRESSING CRITICAL/SCEPTICAL VIEWS.
DETAIL
2. THE SCMP REPORTED (15 AUGUST) THAT THE PRO-CHINA LEGCO MEMBER TAM YIU-CHUNG WOULD AGREE WITH THE SEPARATION OF EXCO AND LEGCO.
HE TAM BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD HAVE NO CONVERGENCE IMPLICATIONS. CONSIDERED THAT THE BASIC LAW (ARTICLE 55 OF WHICH PROVIDES, INTER ALIA, THE APPOINTMENT OF LEGCO MEMBERS TO EXCO) WOULD NOT APPLY TO THE PRE-1997 EXCO. ACCORDING TO TAM, THERE WAS NO REASON TO EXPECT THAT EXCO MEMBERS SHOULD NECESSARILY RIDE THE THROUGH TRAIN ACROSS 1997.
HE
3. TAM WAS ALSO REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT THE EXISTING CROSS EXCO-LEGCO MEMBERSHIP ARRANGEMENT HAD FAILED IN ITS INTENDED PURPOSE OF RALLYING LEGCO SUPPORT OF DECISIONS MADE BY EXCO. CONSIDERED THAT THE NEW ARRANGEMENT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF WHETHER TO ALLOCATE EXCO SEATS TO MEMBERS OF THE DIFFERENT POLITICAL GROUPS IN LEGCO. PERSONALLY, TAM PREFERRED THE APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENTS FROM VARIOUS SECTORS TO SIT ON EXCO.
4.
THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL ALSO REPORTED (15 AUGUST) SIMILAR VIEWS BY TSANG YUK-SING, LEADER OF THE PRO-CHINA DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE FOR BETTERMENT OF HONG KONG. TSANG INDICATED THAT SEPARATING EXCO AND LEGCO WOULD BE A FEASIBLE ARRANGEMENT FOR THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD WHEN PARTY POLITICS WAS STILL IMMATURE. HE DID NOT AGREE THAT THE COMPOSITION OF EXCO SHOULD REFLECT THE POLITICAL MAKE-UP IN LEGCO AS THIS WOULD NOT NECESSARILY ENABLE THE ADMINISTRATION TO WIN MAJORITY SUPPORT IN LEGCO. FROM HIS CONTACT WITH LU PING, TSANG BELIEVED THAT CHINA WOULD NOT OPPOSE THE SEPARATION OF EXCO AND LEGCO.
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