XN000022-1993-12-02 — Page 4

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1993

THERE ARE COMPELLING POLITICAL REASONS TOO. THE SINGLE-SEAT, SINGLE-VOTE VOTING SYSTEM FOR LEGCO ENJOYS WIDESPREAD SUPPORT IN THIS COUNCIL. BOTH MAJOR PARTIES HAVE SAID THEY WOULD SUPPORT ITS INTRODUCTION. IF WE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION ON THE VOTING METHOD WHICH FAILED то INCLUDE THE SINGLE-SEAT SINGLE-VOTE SYSTEM FOR LEGCO, WE WOULD BE FLYING IN THE FACE OF WHAT WE KNOW TO BE THIS COUNCIL'S WISHES.

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HAVE NO SYSTEM

IF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WERE PREPARED THOUGH WE CONFIRMATION OF THIS TO AGREE TO THE SINGLE-SEAT SINGLE-VOTE FOR LEGCO AT SOME FUTURE DATE, WHY COULD THEY NOT AGREE TO IT NOW, GIVEN THE VERY REAL TIME CONSTRAINTS WE ARE FACING?

IF THE CHINESE SIDE WERE NOT PREPARED TO AGREE TO IT NOW, WHAT ASSURANCE IS THERE THAT THEY WOULD AGREE TO IT IN THE FUTURE?

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LET ME MAKE ONE OTHER OBVIOUS POINT. IF YOU WERE NOT TO HAVE THIS VOTING METHOD FOR LEGCO, ANY OTHER FOR EXAMPLE, A PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM

BRING WOULD BE MORE COMPLICATED AND WOULD TAKE MORE TIME TO INTO LAW, EVEN SUPPOSING THAT LEGCO MEMBERS COULD BE PERSUADED ΤΟ ACCEPT AN

ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM, WHICH SEEMS UNLIKELY GIVEN THE CLEAR VIEWS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED ON THE MATTER.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE ONLY ISSUE, I REGRET ΤΟ SAY, WHICH PREVENTED US FROM REACHING A FIRST-STAGE AGREEMENT. WE ALSO DISCUSSED MEMBERSHIP OF DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS WITH OUR CHINESE COLLEAGUES. THE CHINESE SIDE WERE UNABLE TO AGREE THAT APPOINTED MEMBERSHIP OF THESE BODIES SHOULD BE ABOLISHED. EARLIER INDICATIONS THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO REACH AN ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US TO DO THIS, WHILE PRESERVING THE RIGHT OF THE FUTURE SAR TO DECIDE ON ITS OWN UNDER ARTICLE 98 OF THE BASIC LAW WHETHER TO REINSTATE APPOINTED MEMBERSHIP, ALAS PROVED ILLUSORY.

IT IS A PITY THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONCLUDE AN INTERIM AGREEMENT EVEN ON ISSUES WHICH ARE NOT VERY COMPLEX, NOR CONTROVERSIAL

THIS COUNCIL, NOR - I SUSPECT MATTERS OF GREAT PRINCIPLE TO CHINESE SIDE.

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I HAVE CONSIDERED THE POSITION CAREFULLY WITH THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN RECENT DAYS, AND WITH THE FOREIGN SECRETARY. WE HAVE ALL THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND I

RELUCTANTLY CONCLUDED THAT WE NOW HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF LEGISLATING ON THE SIMPLER ISSUES, NOT LEAST IF WE ARE TO GIVE OURSELVES MORE TIME TO TALK WITH CHINA ABOUT THE MORE DIFFICULT ONES.

THE FOREIGN SECRETARY HAS THEREFORE INFORMED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT THAT DRAFT LEGISLATION WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THIS COUNCIL COVERING THE MOST IMMEDIATE ISSUES. THIS DRAFT LEGISLATION WILL COVER:

VOTING METHOD AND VOTING AGE FOR DISTRICT BOARDS, MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL;

THE

ABOLITION OF APPOINTED SEATS IN DISTRICT BOARDS AND

MUNICIPAL COUNCILS (AND A CONSEQUENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ELECTED SEATS IN MUNICIPAL COUNCILS).

AS AN INDICATION OF OUR WISH TO CONTINUE CO-OPERATION WITH THE CHINESE SIDE, THE DRAFT LEGISLATION WILL ALSO INCLUDE PROVISIONS TO PERMIT HONG KONG RESIDENTS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF CHINESE PEOPLE'S CONGRESSES TO SERVE IN DISTRICT ORGANISATIONS AND IN THIS COUNCIL.

/WE WILL

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