RECE
CONFIDE
MM2017/1
11 JAN.1992
pa
Constit. Despit
035566 16
MDHIAN 4773
CONFIDENTIAL
DESI
FM HONG KONG
INDEX
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 35
OF 08110OZ JANUARY 93
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
Q DIST?
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CRC
1 I MET THE LEADERS OF THE CO-OPERATIVE RESOURCES CENTRE (CRC) ON 6 JANUARY AS PART OF A ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS WITH POLITICAL GROUPS. AS THEY WILL BE SEEING THE PRIME MINISTER ON 19 JANUARY, YOU MIGHT FIND IT HELPFUL TO HAVE A REPORT OF THE MEETING.
2. THE MAIN ISSUE WAS OF COURSE CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUT THE CRC RAISED ISSUES RELATED TO THE FORTHCOMING BUDGET, LOCALISATION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE AND THE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION. ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THEY PREPARED A POSITION PAPER WHICH THEY WILL PRESENT TO THE PRIME MINISTER. A COPY IS BEING SENT TO YOU AND PEKING BY FAX. THE POSITION PAPER IS LONG ON GENERAL PRINCIPLES BUT SHORT ON SPECIFICS. I ENCOURAGED THEM TO COME UP WITH SPECIFIC PROPOSALS ON THE MAIN ISSUES, SAYING THAT THIS WOULD BE USEFUL FOR THE MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER. I DOUBT HOWEVER WHETHER THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO SO BEFORE THEIR VISIT TO LONDON, BUT THEY SEEM TO ACCEPT THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO DO SO IN TIME FOR THE DEBATE IN LEGCO.
3.
MOST OF WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY TO ME AT OUR MEETING WAS FAMILIAR AND WELL COVERED IN THEIR POSITION PAPER. HOWEVER, WE DID HAVE AN INTERESTING EXCHANGE ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE WHERE WE FOUND MORE COMMON GROUND THAN I HAD EXPECTED. I EXPLAINED THAT FOR ME THE CRUCIAL POINT OF PRINCIPLE IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TO SERVE ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE MUST THEMSELVES HAVE BEEN ELECTED AND THAT I THOUGHT THE BEST WAY OF ACHIEVING THIS WOULD BE TO DRAW ALL OR MOST OF THE MEMBERS FROM THE DIRECTLY ELECTED DISTRICT BOARDS. THEY ACCEPTED THE POINT OF PRINCIPLE AND NOTED THE ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE IMPLIED IN THE PHRASE QUOTE ALL OR MOST UNQUOTE.
4.
THE CRC WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN ELECTION BASED ON THAT DESCRIBED IN ANNEX 1 OF THE MEAN THE DIRECTLY ELECTED DISTRICT BOARDS
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COMMITTEE FOR 1995 BASIC LAW. THIS WOULD PROVIDING NO MORE CAND