OLSS
THE SOURCE WAS ALSO QUOTED AS REFERRING TO REPORTS THAT JI PENGFEN HEAD OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAO OFFICE, HAD TOLD HONG KONG URBAN COUNCILLOR DENNY HUANG THAT THE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT WOULD BE CHOSEN THROUGH A CONSULTATIVE PROCESS. ACCORDING TO THE SOURCE, NO FIRM POLICY DECISION ON THIS MATTER HAD YET BEEN TAKEN. THREE ALTERNATIVES WERE BEING CONSIDERED BY THE CHINESE SIDE. A DECISION ON WHICH WAS TO BE IMPLEMENTED WOULD DEPEND ON HOW COOPERATIVE THE BRITISH PROVED. IF THE BRITISH DID NOT COOPERATE ENOUGH, AND THE LEVEL OF DEMOCRATIC CONSCIOUSNESS ON THE PART OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE WAS INSUFFICIENT, THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS WOULD BE MERGED AND WOULD IN PART BE ELECTED DIRECTLY. THE MANNER IN WHICH THE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT WOULD BE CHOSEN WOULD DEPEND ON THE CURRENT SITUATION. IF BRITAIN COOPERATED AND DEVELOPED DEMOCRATIC PROCEDURES IN HONG KONG, A FULLY CLECTIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT WOULD BE INTRODUCED. IF THE BRITISH PRETENDED TO COOPERATE BUT IN PRACTICE DRAGGED THEIR FEET, THEN A CONSULTATIVE PROCESS AS DESCRIBED BY JI PENGFER WOULD BE USED. THE SOURCE WAS ALSO QUOTED AS SAYING THAT IT WAS INCORRECT TO REFER TO ANY LEGAL GUARANTEES IF THE HONG KONG SAR HAS A MINI CONSTITUTION.
F WAS MORE CORRECT TO SPEAK OF DETAILED PROVISIONS FOR SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS.
COMMENT
5. ALL THE DETAILS IN THE ARTICLE ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THE ONE SOURCE (WIDE ANGLE SOMETIMES BLURS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ITS OWN SPECULATION AND INFORMATION DERIVED FROM SPECIFIC SOURCES). THE PASSAGES ON THE PROGRESS IN THE NECOTATIONS READ LIKE A REASONABLY INTELLIGENT ATTEMPT AT RECONSTRUCTION BY SOMEONE WHO HAS PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO, AND TO A LARGE EXTENT BELIEVES IN, THE CHINESE VERSION OF EVENTS AS CONVEYED THROUGH THE PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN.
16. HKD REGISTRY PLEASE PASS TO FED.
Л
SIGNED: RP MARGOLIS
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