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:
SECRET
CC:
102
38 um. 1993
Hong Kong Department
18 October 1993
Sir J Coles
វ
Fron:
J C Morris
date:
REGIST
500円
Minor
PS/Mr Goodlad
Mr Hum
Mr Fry, FED
Ms Everett, News D
A
18110.
BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION (BEC)
Problem
1.
Hong Kong plan to bring into operation on 22 October the
parts of the BEC Ordinance which enable the BEC to conduct
and supervise elections. This overturns an earlier decision to defer this action while talks with China were underway.
Recommendation
2. I recommend that we endorse Hong Kong's decision, and I
submit a draft reply (which will need to issue today).
Background
3. Mr Goodlad will recall that we recently agreed that Hong
Kong should amend the BEC Ordinance to defer (from
31 December to 30 April) the deadline for the BEC to make their recommendations to the Governor on constituency
boundaries. At that time we renewed our earlier decision to
defer activating the remaining parts of the BEC Ordinance
while the talks with China continued.
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1100
4.
HK Telno 1616 explains that this latter decision was
predicated on the assumption that no elections or
by-elections were scheduled in the near future; but that
since the resignation of a Sha Tin DB member, a by-election will be held on 5 December and preparatory work will need to
begin now. It makes sense for the BEC the body specifically set up for this purpose to organise this
election.
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