DRAFT
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The more early a new
regime was seen
the greater the chances of survival.
It would be advisable for
Deculation leading to
SECRET
be essential for any new regime in Hong Kong to
be tolerable to Peking.
3. A new regime would have a greater hope of survival if it could be presented as a natural growth from the present system This means that a) it should be evolutionary i.e. it should
grow out of Hong Kong's existing traditions of consultation and consent and public
involvement in advisory boards, committees and
community organisations:
by the elective element in it (which would be
essential to give it credence as a representative
to
system) might be based on a "collegiate approach" whereby those appointed to the higher organs of government such as the Executive and Legislative Councils emerged from regional, professional and community bodies which have an elected element in them 1.e. the Urban Council, District Boards, the Heung Yee Kuk and commercial, industrial and educational associations. Such a system would disperse power among the community as a whole and ! avoid the risks of polarisation of political
parties.
To avoid disruption, and unnecessary alarm, any programme of change would have to be introduced progressively. In this way each stage could be tested before a move was made to the next stage. At the same time there would have to be a reasonably clear idea, within Government itself, of how we would expect the later stages of the scheme to look so that each
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