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MDHIAN 45
ACCEPT IT WITHOUT TOO MUCH DIFFICULTY
4. AFTER THE POLITICAL ADVISER HAD REPORTED ON THE FOURTH ROUND OF TALKS, I SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR A MORE ACTIVE PHASE OF BARGAINING THIS SUMMER. WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO RESIST THE CHINESE ATTEMPT TO MAKE US NEGOTIATE ONE ISSUE AT A TIME. WE SHOULD NOT DECOUPLE THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND DISTRICT BOARDS FROM THE REST OF THE LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE. THIS WOULD RELIEVE ALL TIME PRESSURE ON THE CHINESE. IT MIGHT STILL BE A WHILE BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE AN OVERALL JUDGEMENT ON THE WAY FORWARD, SO WE SHOULD SOUND PATIENT ALTHOUGH NOT INFINITELY PATIENT. BUT TODAY I WANTED TO TAKE A FIRST LOOK AT HOW WE WOULD MANAGE A SUBSEQUENT STAGE OF ACTIVE NEGOTIATION. I WOULD NEED TO PUT MY VIEWS ON THIS
TO YOU AND THE RELEVANT COMMITTEE.
5. I SAID THAT WE SHOULD KEEP TO A MINIMUM THE AREA WHERE WE WERE PREPARED TO ENVISAGE AMENDING MY PROPOSALS. THE FIRST PHASE OF DISCUSSIONS HAD BROUGHT OUT THAT THE KEY AREAS FOR CHINA WERE THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS, FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS HAD PROBABLY BEEN RAISED FOR TACTICAL PURPOSES. THE VOTING AGE HAD NOT BEEN RAISED AND WE HAD HARDLY HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE VOTING SYSTEM. THE REAL AREAS IN WHICH TO CONSIDER POSSIBLE CHANGE WERE THEREFORE THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND
THE ELECTION COMMITTEE.
6. OUR ORIGINAL PROPOSALS ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE WERE CLEAN, STRAIGHT-FORWARD AND WORKABLE. BUT THEY WERE PROBABLY THE HARDEST ELEMENT OF THE PACKAGE TO DEFEND IN ANY DETAILED NEGOTIATION. IF WE MOVED TO AN ELECTION COMMITTEE MADE UP OF THE FOUR SECTORS LISTED IN THE BASIC LAW WE NEEDED TO BE CAREFUL THAT IT DID NOT BECOME A DOG'S BREAKFAST. WE SHOULD STICK TO THE SIMPLE POINT THAT IT SHOULD BE ELECTED IN HONG KONG, NOT SELECTED, AND THAT THE ELECTIONS WHICH PRODUCED IT SHOULD BE OPEN AND FAIR. THE OPTIONS FOR MEETING THESE CRITERIA WERE LIMITED. EITHER A THIRD ELECTORAL ROLL COULD BE DRAWN UP OR WE SHOULD SETTLE ON ORGANISATIONS TO DO THE ELECTING WHICH WERE ALREADY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMMUNITY. IN PRACTICE ONLY THE SECOND OPTION APPEAR BOTH WORKABLE AND NEGOTIABLE. THE FIRST WOULD BE MORE DEMOCRATIC THAN OUR EXISTING PROPOSAL BUT FOR THIS REASON ALONE NON-NEGOTIABLE WITH CHINA. USING THE SECOND MODEL, THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES
(WITH A NEW RELIGIOUS CONSTITUENCY) COULD ELECT THE FIRST THREE SECTORS OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE LISTED IN THE BASIC LAW. DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS COULD MAKE UP THE FOURTH SECTOR. LEGCO
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