UNCLASSIFIED
MDHI
14134
2637,
WOULD IN NO WAY PREJUDGE THE OUTCOME OF THE CURRENT TALKS.
5. A NUMBER OF LEGCO MEMBERS AND POLITICAL GROUPS FELT THAT THE CHINESE HAD OVER-REACTED TO THE PASSAGE OF THE BEC BILL. STEVEN POON (LIBERAL PARTY) SAID LEGCO NEEDED TIME TO EXAMINE LEGISLATION ON THE 1994/95 ARRANGEMENTS. IT MADE SENSE TO LOOK AT THE LESS CONTROVERSIAL LEGISLATION SUCH AS THE BEC BILL FIRST. YEUNG SUM (UDHK) SAID THE SETTING UP OF THE BEC WAS AN INTERNAL MATTER FOR HONG KONG AND SHOULD BE HANDLED BY HKG. IT WAS ALSO NATURAL FOR LEGCO TO PASS THE LEGISLATION. YEUNG REITERATED THE NEED TO PUT IN PLACE EARLY THE LEGISLATION FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS. FREDERICK FUNG (ADPL) REMARKED THAT THE BEC WOULD TAKE OVER THE POWER TO DEMARCATE CONSTITUENCIES FORMERLY EXERCISED BY
THE HKG. THE NATURE OF SUCH WORK WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. HE DID NOT SEE THAT THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL WOULD CAUSE ANY PROBLEM.
SOURCES.
6. QUOTING SOURCES, HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED TODAY THAT THE TWO SIDES HAD AGREED ON THE LAST DAY OF THE THIRD ROUND THAT STARTING FROM THE FOURTH ROUND ISSUES RELATING TO THE
1994/95 ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BE DISCUSSED ONE BY ONE. EACH ROUND WOULD TACKLE ONE ISSUE, STARTING WITH THE EASIER AND LESS CONTROVERSIAL ONES. THAT WAS WHY THE FOURTH ROUND WOULD LAST JUST TWO DAYS.
7. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, THE TWO SIDES HAD IN PREVIOUS ROUNDS SET OUT THEIR POSITIONS ON THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS AND THROUGH TRAIN. THEY HAD AGREED TO PUT ASIDE FOR THE TIME BEING DIFFERENCES IN MAJOR PRINCIPLES: AND WOULD START DISCUSSING DETAILS SO THAT PROGRESS COULD BE ACHIEVED. IT WAS EXPECTED THAT DISCUSSIONS ON THE DETAILS WOULD TAKE ONE TO TWO MONTHS, AFTER WHICH THE TWO SIDES WOULD HAVE TO RETURN TO FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS SUCH AS THE THROUGH TRAIN. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT WANT THE TALKS TO DRAG ON TOO LONG. AN OUTCOME OF THE TALKS SHOULD THUS EMERGE IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER. BUT THE CHINESE WOULD DEFINITELY NOT/NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LEGCO TIMETABLE.
AIRPORT COMMITTEE MEETING.
8. THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE MEETING ON 4 JUNE ATTRACTED EXTENSIVE MEDIA INTEREST. THE LEFT-WING PRESS PLAYED UP
ZHOU NAN'S REMARKS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD ADOPT A
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UNCLASSIFIED