TNAG-1288-FCO40-1639-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 130

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00 PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

HICK 011/3

15664

RECENT

STR.

NOV 1924

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GRS 290

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 08094OZ NOV 84

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2201 OF NOVEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

(343)

YOUR TELNOS 3358 AND 3391: WHITE PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE

-GOVERNMENT

Tuken

1. I AM GLAD TO NOTE FROM SECOND TUR THAT UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF

EXCO MAY BE MOVING FROM THEIR PREVIOUS OPPOSITION TO BRINGING THE

DATE OF THE REVIEW OF ARRANGEMENTS FORWARD TO 1987. I AM SURE

THAT THE PROPOSAL IS A SENSIBLE ONE, GIVEN THE OTHER CHANGES TO

THE GREEN PAPER THAT EXCO HAVE ALREADY APPROVED.

2.

I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE WHITE PAPER WILL BE THE SUBJECT OF

CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION DURING THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES IN

DECEMBER. IF NO DATE IS GIVEN FOR THE REVIEW, MEMBERS WILL CERTAINLY ASK WHEN IT WILL TAKE PLACE AND WHETHER IT WILL BE BEFORE THE 1988 ELECTIONS. FAILURE TO GIVE A CONVINCING REPLY TO

THIS COULD DETRACT FROM THE OTHERWISE POSITIVE EFFECT OF THE

WHITE PAPER PROPOSALS. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS, I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT THE TIMING WOULD BE DECIDED AFTER THE 1985

ELECTIONS HAD TAKEN PLACE AND THERE HAD BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO

ASSESS HOW THEY HAD GONE AND HOW THE RECONSTITUTED LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS WORKING. CLEARLY SOME CONSIDERATION WOULD IN ANY

CASE HAVE TO BE GIVEN TO WHETHER ANY FURTHER CHANGES TO THE SYSTEM OF APPOINTING AND ELECTING MEMBERS TO LEGCO IN THE 1988 ELECTIONS. I AM SURE THERE WOULD BE CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE TO

HAVE THE FULL REVIEW BEFORE THE 1988 ELECTIONS. I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT I RECOGNISED THE ARGUMENTS FOR THIS, AND THEY WOULD BE

TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

3. I AM BOUND TO SAY HOWEVER THAT THIS LINE LOOKS RATHER WEAK

AND THAT I REGARD IT AS MUCH PREFERABLE TO SPECIFY FROM THE START

THAT THE REVIEW WILL TAKE PLACE IN 1987. THIS WILL HELP TO

DISARM CRITICS. I HOPE THAT EXCO WILL ON REFLECTION BE ABLE TO

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