TNAG-1353-FCO40-1794-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 51

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FM FCO 081026Z MAR 85

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 375 OF 8 MARCH

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

PACL

ми

YOUR TELNOS 469 AND 470 : AMENDMENTS TO LETTERS PATENT AND ROYAL

INSTRUCTIONS

1. WE ARE CONTENT WITH THE LINE SUGGESTED IN PARA 2 OF FIRST

TUR. WE DOUBT WHETHER THE POWERS OF DISSOLUTION WILL BE

QUESTIONED HERE (WHERE THEY ARE NORMAL) UNLESS IT IS A REFLECTION

OF CRITICISM IN HONG KONG. IF THEY ARE, WE WOULD PROPOSE TO

SAY THAT THEY ARE A NORMAL PROVISION IN MANY CONSTITUTIONS.

WHILE THE NORM IS EXPECTED TO BE A THREE YEAR TERM OF OFFICE, AND THIS IS PROVIDED FOR IN THE INSTRUMENTS, IT IS DESIRABLE FOR

THERE TO BE SOME FLEXIBILITY, TO ALLOW FOR AN EARLY DISSOLUTION

EITHER BECAUSE THE PROGRAMME OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN

NOW AND 1997 REQUIRES ELECTIONS OUTSIDE THE THREE-YEAR CYCLE OR

BECAUSE UNUSUAL POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES MAKE A REFERENCE TO

THE ELECTORATE DESIRABLE.

HOWE

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

LIMITED

HKD

COPIES TO

MR. FIFOOT LEGAL ADVISERS

FED

NEWS DEPT

SIR W HARDING

DR WILSON

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