GRS 500
SECRET
FUTURE EGRET
DESKBY 19130OZ FCO
DESKBY 20010OZ PEKING
FM HONG KONG 191105Z JUN 84
SECRET
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1657 OF 19 JUNE
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
Exter
TOP COPY
170
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RECEIVED IN POISTRY
2 0 JUN 1984
DESK OFFICSA
PA
No
REGISTR
FUTURE EGRET : PERSONAL FOR CRADOCK: YOUR TELSNOS 1094 AND 1120
760
YOUR WILL SEE FROM MY IMMEDIATELY PRECEEDING TELEGRAM, THAT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CONSIDERED THE DRAFT GREEN PAPER THIS MORNING AND, APART FROM DECIDING THAT AMENDMENTS SHOULD BE MADE TO THE PROPOSALS FOR LEGCO, THEY CONSIDERED CAREFULLY OF THEIR OWN VOLITION, WHETHER OR NOT THE SECTION ON THE GOVERNOR SHOULD BE INCLUDED. IN SHORT THEIR VIEWS WERE THAT
(A) THERE SHOULD BE AN ELECTED GOVERNOR BEFORE 1997:
(B) IF THERE WAS NO SECTION IN THE PAPER DEALING WITH THE GOVERNOR THERE WOULD BE IMMEDIATE SUSPICION THAT SOMETHING WAS BEING HELD BACK TO BE SPRUNG ON THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT CONSULTATION AT A
LATER DATE. IT WOULD ALSO BE IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS THAT THE CHANGES
IN EXCO/LEGCO WOULD HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROCESS OF SELECTING
THE GOVERNOR AND SOME MENTION OF THIS WOULD THEREFORE HAVE TO BE
HADE:
(C) THEY CONCLUDED, HOWEVER, THAT TO MAKE A FIRM PROPOSITION THAT THE GOVERNOR SHOULD BE ELECTED IN 1992 COULD BE INTERPRETED AS
INDICATING A BRITISH WITHDRAWAL, IN PRACTICE IF NOT IN FORM,
ON OR SOON AFTER THAT DATE. TO MEET THIS OBJECTION THE SECTION
ON THE GOVERNOR SHOULD BE REWRITTEN TO INDICATE ONLY THAT THE
ELECTION OF THE GOVERNOR BY EXCO/LEGCO WOULD BE THE NATURAL
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROCESS OUTLINED IN THE GREEN PAPER, AS WOULD
THE PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS OF HIS POWERS. NO SPECIFIC PROPOSITION
SHOULD BE MADE NOR SHOULD A DATE SE GIVEN.
SECRET
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