TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 77

CONFIDENTIAL

(H) MR. ANDREW WONG : SUPPORTS FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF HK'S POLITICAL SYSTEM TO ENSURE SMOOTH TRANSITION IN 1997, BUT PREFERS STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH RATHER THAN PRECONCEIVED BLUEPRINT. WHILE PERSONALLY PREFERRING DIRECT ELECTION ON A GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCY, DOES NOT CONSIDER THAT DECISION ON FUTURE ELECTORAL METHODS IS IMMEDIATELY REQUIRED. PROPOSES TWO DEVELOPMENTS OF MORE IMMEDIATE CONCERN: FIRST, AT CENTRAL LEVEL, TOP EXECUTIVE POSITIONS SHOULD GRADUALLY BE FILLED BY POLITICAL APPOINTEES ACCOUNTABLE TO PUBLIC: AND SECONDLY, AT DISTRICT LEVEL, MORE DECISION-MAKING POWERS SHOULD BE DEVOLVED TO DISTRICT BOARDS. BELIEVES THAT DEMOCRATIC TRADITION NECESSARY FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS AT CENTRE CAN ONLY EMERGE FROM

PRACTISING IT IN DISTRICTS.

2. EXTRACTS OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF SOME OF THE UNOFFICIALS' SPEECHES ARE IN MIFT.

3. IT IS INTERESTING, AND SIGNIFICANT, THAT THE MOST HARD-HITTING SPEECH CAME FROM MR. MARTIN LEE, A MEMBER OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING

COMMITTEE.

YOUDE

'HONG KONG AGREEMENT

LIMITED HD/HKD HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF HD/PUSD

DEP HD/PUSD

RES (MR WALKER)

PS

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUB

BIR W HARDING

MR WILSON

SIR J FREELAND

MR J CROWLEY PUSD

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS NEWS DEPT MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVS MR MARTIN ASST STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

MR MALLABY CABINET OFFICE MR DRC CHRISTOPHER

CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADDOCK NO 10 DOWNING ST. MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL