TNAG-1396-FCO40-1868-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1985 — Page 36

II.

5 -

The General Programme and Procedure of the Drafting Work

It is anticipated that the drafting of the Hong Kong SAR's Basic Law will take four to five years since such work must require serious and repeated discussions and amendments, and should not be done in haste, and the

draft Basic Law is scheduled to be tabled before the National People's Congress in the first half of the year 1990 for its examination, approval and announcement. Based on this plan, the procedure of the Basic Law drafting work can be

roughly devised as follows :-

(1)

To concentrate effort on investigation and

research, and to collect the views of the Hong Kong compatriots of all circles on the Basic Law by wide consultation in the latter half of this year. On this basis, the second

session of the Basic Law Drafting Committee will be held in Spring 1986 to decide which areas should be included in the Basic Law, to establish different topics and to start the

drafting work.

(2)

Discussions and drafting work on different topics

will proceed in 1986 and 1987. In each session, the

Drafting Committee may discuss one to two topics. On the

basis of topical discussions and drafting work, a draft Basic Law is planned to be published and sent to all

partices concerned for opinions in early 1988.

(3) Based on the views of different parties, the Drafting Committee will discuss and amend the draft Basic

Law within the year 1988, and submit it to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for examination

at the end of 1988. The Hong Kong SAR's draft Basic Law

will then be announced, and the views of various parties and

the Hong Kong compatriots will be sought by wide consultation.

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