TNAG-1437-FCO40-1921-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 138

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(2) A RELATED POINT CONCERNS THE EXERCISE OF THE PARTY'S AUTHORITY I9 THE SAR. IT IS INEVITABLE THAT THERE WILL BE AFTER 1997 A MECHANISM S

Y

IE

WHICH THE PARTY EXERCISES AUTHORITY IN HONG KONG. (WE SHOULD BE UNDER NO ILLUSIONS ABOUT THE FACT THAT ULTIMATELY, IF DIFFICULT DECISIONS HAVE TO BE TAKEN, IT WILL BE THE PARTY IN PEKING THAT TAKES THEM). I DOUBT WHETHER THE CHINESE WILL GO FOR THE SORT OF ARRANGEMENT THAT CURRENTLY PERTAINS AT THE PROVINCIAL LEVEL,

A PARTY SECRETARY ONE OF WHOSE DEPUTIES IN THE PARTY HIERARCHY IS ALSO THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR. IT SEEMS TO ME MORE LIKELY THAT THEY WILL PREFER SOMETHING ANALOGOUS TO THE CURRENT ARRANGEMENT IN HONG KONG, WITH THE PARTY REPRESENTATIVE INSTALLED IN AN ORGANISATION SUCH AS NONA WITHOUT A PARTY TITLE. IN CONSTITUTIONAL TERMS, THE PARTY REPRESENTATIVE WOULD OF COURSE HAVE NO POSITION IN THE

GO VERNMENT OF THE SAR AND WE CAN BE SURE THAT THE BASIC LAW WILL

MAKE NO MENTION OF THE PARTY'S LINES OF AUTHORITY TO HONG KONG.

(C) PARAGRAPH 13. THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THE CHINESE WOULD ACCEPT A SYSTEM OF INDIRECT ELECTIONS. THE SECOND SENTENCE OF THE PARAGRAPH SHOULD PERHAPS MAKE THIS CLEAR IN A PASSAGE IN BRACKETS AFTER THE

REFERENCE TO SUCH ELECTIONS.

FKD) PARAGRAPH 14

(1) 1. AGREE WITH THE JUDGEMENT IN SQUARE BRACKETS THAT THE

CHINESE WILL PREFER THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO BE SELECTED DY **CONSULTATIONS'. I ALSO AGREE THAT THEY WILL PROBABLY WANT HIM TO CHOOSE HIS OWN EXECUTIVE, (NO DOUBT KEEPING PEKING INFORMED

DURING THE PROCESS.)

(2) IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, AN ADDITIONAL CAUSE OF DIVEPCENCE NOT MENTIONED IN THIS PARAGRAPH WOULD ARISE IF WE ADOPTED A SYSTEM IN WHICH THE EXECUTIVE (OR PART OF IT) WAS ELECTED BY MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (A PROPOSAL MADE IN THE 1984 GREEN PAPER.)

(3) 1 AM 1NCOLNED TO AGREE WITH THE SQUARE BRACKETED JUDGEMENT IN THE FINAL SENTENCE OF THIS PARAGRAPH I WONDER, HOWEVER, WHETHER THE PAPER MIGHT NOT REFER TO THE POSSIBILITY REFLECTED IN THE RECENT ''MIRROR ARTICLE OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SOME KIND OF EXECUTIVE ADVISORY ASSEMBLY** IN THE SAR. I DO NOT EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE CHINESE ARE THINKING ALONG THESE LINES. SUCH AN ORGAN WOULD BE ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT IN THEIR EYES TO THE NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCES.

२ SECRET

1(E)