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Chinese sources quoted by the HK Economic Journal
Mainland sources quoted by The SCMP
Chinese sources quoted by TVB
Chinese sources quoted by Ming Pao, Wah Kiu Yat
Po and the HK
Economic Times
Wen Wei Po editorial
CONFIDENTIAL
- 5-
The Chinese side has not responded to the counter-proposals put forward by the British side at the ninth round. The Chinese side feels that the proposed electorate of a million voters for the nine new functional constituencies is too big and contravenes the principle that functional constituency legislators should be returned through indirect election. The British side has suggested that the new functional constituencies should include organisations of both employers and employees and that all members be given the right to vote. This smacks of Mr Patten's proposal, which is a disguised form of direct elections. The Chinese side can amend its proposal from "one union, one vote" to allowing union executive committee members to each have a vote. But it cannot accept extending the electorate to all employees in the constituency. As the two sides still have wide differences, an agreement is not likely to be reached before October. Nevertheless, the Chinese side will strive to reach some consensus
the Election Committee and functional constituency elections before the ministerial meeting in September.
China may accept a democratic method of choosing Election Committee members.
on
The Chinese side has received a new proposal from the British side on the formation of functional constituencies and
will consider that on the basis that functional constituency elections must not become a direct elections in disguise.
The Chinese side is optimistic that the formation of the Election Committee and the
nine new functional constituencies can be
resolved. The Chinese side sees the British side's recent pessimistic remarks about the talks as ways to bargain for larger benefits and not a cause for concern.
The BL and the 1984 White Paper on Representative Government have clearly stipulated that functional constituency elections should be a form of indirect
election. Since the British counter-
proposal still insists on a "one man, one vote" system for the functional
CONFIDENTIAL
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Lan Ching in Ta Kung Pao
Kwan Chiu in Ta Kung Pao
Kwan Chiu in Ta Kung Pao
Law Sheng-tong in Wen Wei Po
Mainland source quoted by The SCMP