TNAG-1392-FCO40-1864-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 127

CONFIDENTIAL

20. The

to

Elections will be indirect: elected local

government boards will form an electoral college

choose 12 members for LegCo; 12 other members will

elected by functional constituencies representing the

be

A

main professional, commercial and other groups.

further review of the next stage of

of development

scheduled for 1987, before the elections planned for

1988.

i s

21. The first elections to LegCo will be held on 26

September. 64 candidates have been nominated for

election to the 24 seats and as a result the elections

will be keenly contested. The Governor has reported

that with a f ew exceptions the candidates have no

obvious political background. There is considerable

interest among the Hong Kong public and media in the

how dors tus his mi with me arrangemanta elections. wi para 20 (When are

for indirect elections)

22. In recent months we have

this

and

received (mostly through

a variety of unofficial sources) expressions of

concern on the part of the Chinese Government that

constitutional change in Hong Kong may be proceeding

too fast.

The Chinese concern will have been

exacerbated by the controversy in Hong Kong

summer over the passage of the LegCo (Powers Privileges) Bill, which in preparation for the elections sought to codify the various immunities and

parliamentary-style privileges of LegCo members. The measure was widely attacked in Hong Kong as an attempt

to gag public criticism of LegCo in

in preparation for 1997. The Bill, much-amended, was eventually passed, but there is now some public suspicion in Hong Kong of

the Hong Kong Government's motives in promoting

constitutional change. Chinese concern is, however,

probably aimed less at the electoral process to be inaugurated on 26 Septembr than as an early warning of

Chinese views in anticipation of the Hong Kong

Government's review in 1987.

CONFIDENTIAL