G.F JIA
SECRET #2
高 度 密
agreed that
publication of the White Paper could be timed
to pave the way for the introduction of the Second Stage
If the legislative process is to begin in early Paper should logically be published some
Bill.
March, the White
time in February.
The constraint here is that the Chinese
13 (Monday) February, and
New Year falls on 10 (Thursday)
23rd.
on
Paper
statement
-
there are only two LegCo sittings in February, viz. 2nd and One possibility therefore is to publish the White Thursday, 17 February (when Governor will give a in LegCo) with a view to having a LegCo motion
debate on it on 23 February. This will give us about
ten days to assess the mood of LegCo and the community
before making definitive recommendation
EXCO on
The timing is tight but it avoids the risk of wrong-footing ourselves by having a prolonged (and possibly
unfocussed) public debate.
1 March.
a
to
As a contingency, we could defer introduction of
LegCo to Wednesday, 16 March. However, as be а LegCo sitting on that day, we would the agreement of the President of LegCo in
the bill into
there will not
need to obtain
this respect.
Summary
The overall time-table would therefore be as
8
follows:
18 Feb.
Publication of White Paper
23 Feb. (or 2 March)
Legco debate Paper
on White
1 March (or 8 March)
4 March (or 11 March)
9 March(or 16 March)
Consult EXCO package to go for
Gazetting of Bill
1st LegCo
on which
and 2nd reading in
SECRET #2