}
UNCLASSIFIED
066060
MDLIAN 0930
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS: 37 PERCENT WERE NOT OPTIMISTIC WHEREAS THE REMAINING 23 PERCENT CONSIDERED IT WAS HARD TO TELL. 55 PERCENT WERE CONCERNED THAT HK PEOPLE'S INTERESTS WOULD NOT BE LOOKED AFTER ONCE NEGOTIATIONS WERE RESUMED: 31 PERCENT INDICATED THEY WERE NOT CONCERNED AND THE REMAINING 14 PERCENT DID NOT KNOW. 53.8 PERCENT CONSIDERED LEGCO SHOULD PASS THE AGREEMENT REACHED IN THE TALKS: 41.2 PERCENT INDICATED THIS WOULD DEPEND ON THE CONTENTS OF THE AGREEMENT AND THE REMAINING 5 PERCENT WERE OPPOSED TO LEGCO PASSING THE AGREEMENT.
21.
MING PAO (13.3) RELEASED RESULTS OF A SURVEY CONDUCTED ON THE EVENING OF 12 MARCH ON PUBLIC REACTION TO THE GAZETTAL. RESULTS SHOWED ABOUT 35 PERCENT OF THE 549 RESPONDENTS SUPPORTED THE GAZETTAL AND ABOUT 22 PERCENT WERE AGAINST WHILE THE REMAINING 43 PERCENT DID NOT KNOW OR FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO SAY. OVER 70 PERCENT THOUGHT THERE WOULD STILL BE THE CHANCE FOR TALKS WHILE ABOUT 12 PERCENT THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE NO CHANCE.
22.
A MOCK REFERENDUM CONDUCTED BY THE HK UNIVERSITY SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH CENTRE SHOWED AMONG 24,000 PERSONS WHO TOOK PART 64.1 PERCENT WERE AGAINST COMPULSORY VOTING WHILE 35.9 PERCENT INDICATED SUPPORT.
PATTEN
YYYY
MAIN
.HK POLICY
65
DISTRIBUTION
72
NTCD
HKD
PUSD
FED
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS LEGAL ADVISERS//MR GILES
NEWS D
PLANNERS
RAD
PS
PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES MR HUM
ADDITIONAL
PAGE 3 UNCLASSIFIED