TNAG-1438-FCO40-1922-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 151

Date

30.12.85 (cont'd)

Statements by Chinese

Officials

Constitutional Reforms (45)

Statements by Government News Comments/Editorials

Officials

Statements/Comments by others

lame-duck administration. Although the people of HK would be consulted by both China and UK, the most important task now was to encourage HK people to tell Peking and HK Government what they really wanted. It would be against the Joint Declaration if the HK Government had to consult China on everything.

(Prof Peter Harris of HKU): The use of BLCC as

a vehicle of consultation

might affect the role of Legco by creating ar illusion that the institutions created by the colonial

administration would only be a shadow of the new ones. We might have no hope of direct elections to Legco after 1988 if the views of the BLCC and Peking were to be sought.

(Allen Lee, Exco

Unofficial): Judging from the present circum- stances, it was natural for some Legco seats to be directly elected in 1988.