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HIKE 022
p.a.
Constit
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78
Mr Cox
Mina Saunders Brite callach so the.
nel Draft
Discussed w.
Miss
FROM: P F Ricketts
Hong Kong Department
DATE: 7 August 1992
cc: Sir John Coles
Mr Davies, FED Mr Wye, RAD
HONG KONG: CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IN THE GOVERNOR'S LEGCO ADDRESS
1.
The Hong Kong Government have faxed me the attached copy of a summary record of the Governor's meeting on 6 August with the Constitutional Affairs Working Group (which includes Mr Galsworthy) to consider the line he should take in his LegCo address on arrangements for the 1995 elections, and on the ExCo/LegCo relationship.
2. The papers put to the Governor before this meeting have been sent to us by bag and should be arriving shortly.
3.
The record shows that the Governor is forging ahead at considerable speed in making up his mind about the range of electoral issues for 1995. In commenting, we will need to bear in mind:
- that the Governor has chosen (para 28) not to send a reporting telegram at this stage, but to let us have a copy of the notes at working level. In our response, we should make clear that we are offering a contribution to the work in progress at the same working level.
that we should not be trying to second guess decisions which are best left to Hong Kong. Our real locus is to offer thoughts on handling the Chinese (where HMG who have commitments to the Chinese) and (if we have any) on the handling of Parliament here.
4.
On the substance the Governor's conclusions seem very sensible: in most cases he has come down in the same place as we have done in our thinking here. My only comment is on the question of formation of an Election Committee (paras 16-20). I agree with the point attributed to the Chief Secretary that the Election Committee is likely to become the key point in selling the package, not least to Parliamentary opinion here. If we can portray this as effectively producing another ten democratically elected seats, in a way which is not inconsistent with the Basic Law (even if the Chinese are unhappy with the specifies) we may be able to draw the teeth of criticism that the package does nothing to enhance democracy in Hong Kong. On the other hand, if our
under-takings to the Chinese to consult them on electoral
const.iss.PET
SLM
SECRET