TNAG-1220-FCO40-1530-Democratic-representation-and-reform-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 48

uaxi uQr

ADISIDEN

au i No

28613002

AUJSTORY NIGGA.

HKK 011/3

Private Secretary

ary

SECRET

39

See 1440

Secret of State

FROM: RD CLIFT, HKD

Seri

DATE: 16 December 1983

cc: PS/Mr Luce PS/PUS

Mr Giffard

Mr Donald

Mr Thomson, FED

A, B

25

C

C

35

D

36

HONG KONG: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

(34

1. You asked for the papers on this question. Hong Kong telnos 1714 and 1925 contain the Governor's proposals on Constitutional Development in Hong Kong. The main elements of these are:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

2.

extension of elections at District Board level;

establishment of a regional council for the New Territories on the lines of the Urban Council;

introduction of an indirect system of elections to the Legislative Council;

election of Executive Council by members of the Executive Council;

election of the Governor, initially on a collegiate basis and ultimately directly.

The PUS has commented that the proposals need to be considered in the context of the negotiations and how how we propose to assess the acceptability to the people of Hong Kong of any agreement reached with the Chinese. We therefore sent an official level telegram to the Governor asking for his comments on this aspect and on the idea of direct elections to LEGCO.

3.

The Governor has told me on the telephone that he believes:

(a) the question of acceptability and future government

structures should be kept separate;

(b) we should not move quickly to direct elections to LEGCO.

He is telegraphing about this.

4. Meanwhile OD(K) has decided that in the forthcoming policy review a separate paper should be prepared on democratic development. The Governor has agreed to draft this.

5.

Since the above was dictated, Sir P Cradock has commented on the Governor's proposals in Peking telno 1360. He has raised some fairly fundamental points, tending to coincide with our ideas on keeping open the possibility of direct elections

SECRET

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