TNAG-1220-FCO40-1530-Democratic-representation-and-reform-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 96

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GR1500 SECRET

FM HONG KONG 11084OZ NOV 83

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1714 OF 11 NOVEMBER 1983

SECRET

HACK 011/3

RECEIVED IN REAK

Rik pl

•See

20

17 NOV 1983

500 (26)

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

INDEX

HONG KONG: DEVELOPMENT OF THE GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE

HICK 040/4 1198 167.

1. IN MY TELNO 1674 SAID THAT THE INTERNAL STRENGTH OF THE GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE WOULD BE A KEY ELEMENT IN THE GUARANTEES FOR HONG KONG AFTER 1997 AND THAT IT WOULD BE OUR AIM TO DEVELOP THE EXISTING INSTITUTIONS AT ALL LEVELS IN SUCH A WAY AS TO MAKE THEM SELF-SUSTAINING AND, BY BUILDING IN CHECKS AND BALANCES, TO MINIMISE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHINESE INTERFERENCE. WE HAVE GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT HERE TO HOW THIS COULD BEST BE DONE. OUR STARTING POINT HAS BEEN THE BEL HEF THAT STABILITY WILL BE BEST SERVED BY BUILDING ON EXISTING INSTITUTIONS.

2. IN CONSIDERING HOW OUR EXISTING INSTITUTIONS COULD BEST BE DEVELOPED, WE HAVE VERY MUCH IN MIND THAT QUITE APART FROM THE PEKING TALKS THERE ARE GROWING SIGNS OF PUBLIC INTEREST N GREATER PARTICIPATION IN THE RUNNING OF HONG KONG. THIS HAS BEEN ENCOURAGED BY PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION. SO THERE IS A DEMAND FOR FURTHER EVOLUTION OF THE STRUCTURE WHICH NT WOULD BE WISE TO SATISFY.

3. BEGINNING AT DISTRICT LEVEL WE HAVE SET IN HAND A REVIEW OF THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM. THE DISTRICT BOARDS ARE PARTLY ELECTED AND PARTLY APPOINTED AND THEUR ROLE IS ADVISORY. OUR REVIEW WILL CONSIDER WHETHER THEY SHOULD BECOME, BY STAGES, ENTIRELY ELECTED AND IN WHAT AREAS THEY MIGHT BE GIVEN LOCAL EXECUTIVE POWERS.

4. AT THE NEXT LEVEL THE URBAN COUNCIL IS HALF ELECTED AND HALF APPOINTED. ITS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY IS CONFINED TO THE URBAN AREA. OUR AIM WILL BE TO FIND A WAY OF EXTENDING THE ELECTIVE SYSTEM AT THIS LEVEL TO THE REST OF THE TERRITORY THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SECOND REGIONAL COUNCIL WHTH AT LEAST HALF THE MEMBERS ELECTED BY DIRECT FRANCHISE. WE WOULD AIM TO BRING THIS INTO EFFECT ENTHER AT THE TIME OF THE NEXT URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN 1986, OR BEFORE THEN IF PRACTICABLE.

5. THERE WOULD THEN BE A CONSTITUENCY BASED ELECTIVE SYSTEM BOTH AT DISTRICT BOARD AND REGIONAL COUNCIL (URBAN COUNCIL) LEVEL THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY.

6. NORMALLY IN A BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO CREATE A DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. IN HONG KONG BECAUSE OF THE CHINESE ATTITUDE NT HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONSIDERED TOO RISKY TO HAVE A DIRECTLY ELECTED COUNCIL. THERE IS A DANGER THAT ELECTIONS AT THIS LEVEL COULD LEAD TO COMPETITION BETWEEN COMMUNIST, NATIONALIST AND OTHER FACTIONS TO A GREATER DEGREE THAN HAS OCCURRED AT LOWER LEVELS.

SECRET

See

1340 (044)

see (213) HKCK 040/18

17.

Sex(36)

See (39

Lee 41

See (45