TNAG-1439-FCO40-1923-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 9

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WHITE PAPER AND COMPLETION OF AMENDMENTS TO YOUR LEGISLATION

AND TO LETTERS PATENT. WE WONDER IF THIS TIMESCALE IS A

LITTLE OPTIMISTIC. EVEN ASSUMING THAT THE WHITE PAPER HAS A

SMOOTH PASSAGE, WE RECALL THAT THE 1985 EXERCISE TO AMEND YOUR

LEGISLATION AND THE LETTERS PATENT WAS A VERY TIGHT ONE: GIVEN

YOUR SUBSEQUENT TIMETABLE LEADING UP TO THE LEGCO ELECTIONS IN

SEPTEMBER 1985, WE HAD VERY LITTLE ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE IN

FINALISING THESE AMENDMENTS. IT MIGHT, THEREFORE, BE HELPFUL

TO ALLOW AN EXTRA MONTH FOR THIS STAGE: PERHAPS BY ALLOWING

THE AMENDMENT EXERCISE TO RUN ON INTO MARCH 1988.

HOWE

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