political system.
54.
The Chinese proposal made in Round 4 of the talks was that the nature, functions and method for forming the District Organisations should remain unchanged. Appointed membership
should be retained.
55. The Chinese proposal seeks to freeze the development of democracy in the District Boards and Municipal Councils at its 1991 level. This is inconsistent with the professed Chinese desire to see gradual and orderly progress towards full
democracy in Hong Kong.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS (1995)
The "Through Train"
56. The British side proposed in round one of the talks that
the only necessary qualification for legislators elected in
1995 to continue in office until 1999 should be a pledge of
allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of
the PRC and a pledge to uphold the Basic Law. This would be
exactly the same requirement as that set out in Article 104 of
the Basic Law for SAR officials, Executive and Legislative
Councillors and members of the judiciary on taking office.
57. The Chinese side took the position that they would only be willing to discuss criteria for the through train when they were satisfied that the composition of the 1995 Legislative Council would conform to their interpretation of the Basic Law. They also pointed out that according to the Decision of the
National People's Congress on the Method for the formation of
the First Government and the first Legislative Council of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (annexed in the Basic
Law) it would be for the Preparatory Committee to confirm
statememt26.8/BRIEFS/NJH
25