TNAG-1287-FCO40-1638-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 37

GR 1300

SECRET

Secret ko11/3

11 JUL24

TOP COPY

FM HONG KONG 11024OZ JUL 84

TO PRIORITY FCO

JAK

SHINGTON,

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1890 OF 11 JULY

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, WASHIN

CG NEW YORK, BRUSSELS, UKMIS GENEVA

FOR HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES.

HKG/GT/69

GREEN PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE

GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.

1. THE ABOVE-MENTIONED GREEN PAPER WILL BE PUBLISHED IN HONG KONG ON 18 JULY 1984. AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT IT WILL ALSO BE MADE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY THE GOVERNOR ON THAT DAY. COPIES OF THE GREEN PAPER AND THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH WILL BE DESPATCHED TO

REACH YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

2. THE MAIN AIMS OF THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER ARE

(A) TO DEVELOP PROGRESSIVELY A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT THE AUTHORITY FOR WHICH IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN HONG KONG: WHICH IS ABLE TO REPRESENT AUTHORITATIVELY THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG: AND WHICH IS MORE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG:

(B) TO BUILD THIS SYSTEM ON THE FOUNDATION OF OUR EXISTING

INSTITUTIONS AND AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO PRESERVE THEIR BEST FEATURES, INCLUDING THE WELL-ESTABLISHED PRACTICE OF GOVERNMENT BY CONSENSUS: AND

(C) TO ALLOW FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM IF THAT SHOULD

BE THE WISH OF THE COMMUNITY.

3. THE PROPOSALS MAY BE SUMMARISED AS FOLLOWS

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

(A) ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BE INTRODUCED TO PROVIDE FOR A SUBSTANTIAL

NUMBER OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO BE

ELECTED INDIRECTLY

-

(1) BY AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE COMPOSED OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE URBAN

COUNCIL, THE NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS,

AND

(11) BY SPECIFIED FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.

(B) A NUMBER OF APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS SHOULD BE RETAINED ON

THE COUNCIL, FOR THE TIME BEING.

Secret

/ (c) THE

223