CONFIDENTIAL,
нив HUB 017/7
Faed
to
FONN (12/10)
inta
a coper
сора
of commenter)
96
GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG'S PROPOSALS ON DEMOCRACY
Democracy
9.
When the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed in 1984, there were no elected members of Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo). In 1985 indirect elections for just under half the membership were introduced and, in February 1988, after an extensive consultation exercise, the Hong Kong Government announced that 10 directly-elected seats would be introduced in the 1991 LegCo elections. But after the events of June 1989 in China, a growing number of politically conscious people in Hong Kong wanted to see a more rapid rate of progress. There followed a period of intensive negotiations between the British and Chinese governments about the electoral provisions to be included in the Basic Law, which sets out the constitutional arrangements for Hong Kong after the territory reverts to Chinese sovereignty in July 1997. The final version of the Basic Law provides for
20 directly-elected seats in the Hong Kong legislature (out of a total of 60) in 1997, and for further increases to 24 seats in 1999 and 30 seats in 2003, with the possibility of full direct elections in 2007.
Britain's aim throughout has been to establish a system of democracy which would address aspirations in Hong Kong and be capable of enduring and developing beyond 1997. It was on this basis that the British Government decided to introduce 18 directly-elected seats in 1991, a considerable increase on the 10 originally proposed, and at least 20 in 1995.
11.
The
Elections for the 18 directly-elected seats were held in September 1991. This marked an important step forward in the development of democracy in Hong Kong. There was a turn-out rate of 39% of registered voters and all 18 seats were contested. The United Democrats of Hong Kong (UDHK) and their allies, led by the lawyer Mr Martin Lee, fought a lively and successful campaign based on a call for faster democracy. UDHK won 12 of the seats and 45% of the vote. Most of the successful candidates in the indirect functional constituency elections (21 seats) were independents without political affiliation. The remaining 21 members consist of 18 appointed by the Governor from a wide range of different backgrounds and 3 officials. The next Legislative Council due in 1995 will be all-elected, with no appointed or official members.
We have said that we shall want to discuss arrangements for the 1995 Legislative Council elections with the Chinese
12.
DRAFTS/democbrief
CONFIDENTIAL
1