UNCLASSIFIED
HICC 012/2 RECEIVE
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 862
OF 28073OZ MAY 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
ake
140
114134
MDHIAN 2637
TOP COPY Q DIST?
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS.
TALKS.
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1612/2
THE PAPERS TODAY (28 MAY) GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO REMARKS BY NCNA VICE DIRECTOR, ZHANG JUNSHENG, AND MFA SPOKESMAN, WU JIANMIN (PEKING TELNO 025), ON THE PASSAGE OF THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION BILL BY LEGCO ON 26 MAY. ZHANG WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT WHILE THE TALKS ON THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS ON THE BASIS OF THE THREE COMPLIANCES WERE PROCEEDING AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE HOPING FOR POSITIVE RESULTS FROM SINO-BRITISH CONSULTATION AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, THIS MOVE BY THE BRITISH HONG KONG AUTHORITIES BEFORE BOTH SIDES REACHED CONSENSUS COULD ONLY BE SEEN AS DELIBERATELY CREATING OBSTACLES TO, INTERFERING WITH AND UNDERMINING THE TALKS. ZHANG ADDED THAT ANY ARRANGEMENTS RELATING TO THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS WOULD BE NULL AND VOID IF THEY HAD NOT BEEN AGREED THROUGH SINO-BRITISH CONSULTATION.
2. ON THE URGENCY IN PASSING THE BEC BILL, ZHANG SAID THAT THE PRESENT TIME CONSTRAINT HAD BEEN CAUSED BY THE GOVERNOR. IF THE TALKS ON THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS HAD STARTED LAST OCTOBER, THE QUESTION OF TIGHT TIMING WOULD NOT HAVE ARISEN. IF TIME WAS RUNNING OUT NOW, WE SHOULD SHOW OUR SINCERITY AND REFRAIN FROM CREATING NEW OBSTACLES.
3.
COMMENTING ON THE LEGCO MOTION DEBATE ON 26 MAY ON THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE TALKS, ZHANG SAID THAT BOTH SIDES HAD AGREED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF CONFIDENTIALITY ABOUT THE TALKS. IF THIS PRINCIPLE COULD BE OVERRULED BY LEGCO AS AN ORGAN OF THE BRITISH HONG KONG AUTHORITIES, IT WOULD SIMPLY BE AN ATTEMPT TO PUT LEGCO ABOVE THE TWO SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENTS.
WE PUT OUT A STATEMENT LAST EVENING SAYING THAT THE BEC BILL WAS A PURELY TECHNICAL PIECE OF LEGISLATION AIMED AT MAKING PREPARATIONS IN TIME FOR THE DB ELECTIONS IN 1994. ITS PASSAGE
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