SECRET
105366
MDHIAN 1854
TOP COPY
20171
Q DIST?
Ри
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 030700Z FCO
TELNO 2443
OF 030508Z OCTOBER 92
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR RICKETTS, HKD
PEKING: PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR
UKREP JLG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY
V
16
YRTELNO 12458: AMENDMENTS TO THE LETTERS PATENTS (LPS) AND ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS
(RIS)
1. OUR ANSWERS TO THE QUERIES IN PARAS 2 TO 7 OF YOUR TUR ARE AS FOLLOWS:
A) PARA 2: WE AGREE THE WORD 'REMAINING' SHOULD BE DELETED.
B) PARA 3: INSTEAD OF ANNOUNCING A DEFINITIVE VIEW ON WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE A DEPUTY PRESIDENT (WHO SHOULD CLEARLY BE ELECTED BY THE MEMBERS OF LEGCO), WE WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE THIS TO LEGCO MEMBERS. DEPENDING ON THEIR WISHES WE WOULD THEN/THEN NEED TO CONSIDER HOW THE RIS SHOULD BE AMENDED. APART FROM AMENDMENTS NECESSARY FOR ME TO GIVE UP THE PRESIDENCY OF LEGCO, THE PROVISIONS IN THE RIS FOR A DEPUTY PRESIDENT AND HIS APPOINTMENT BY ME SHOULD ALSO BE DELETED NOW/NOW.
C) PARA 4: THE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF LEGCO SHOULD NOT/NOT TAKE PART IN ANY ELECTIONS FOR THE PRESIDENT OR DEPUTY PRESIDENT OR BE ELIGIBLE TO BE ELECTED TO SUCH POSITIONS.
D) PARA 5-7: WE THINK WE SHOULD DRAW A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN MY POWERS AS PRESIDENT OF LEGCO AND MY POWERS AS GOVERNOR OF HK. THE POWERS PROVIDED FOR IN THESE ARTICLES OF THE RIS CLEARLY FALL INTO THE LATTER CATEGORY AND SHOULD BE RETAINED.
PATTEN
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