TNAG-1442-FCO40-1926-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 179

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HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

THE LATEST (AUGUST) HSSUE OF THE MIRROR MAGAZINE FEATURED AN ARTICLE, UNDER THE BY-LINE OF KOO SHING-FA, ON THE CONTROVERSY OVERY DAYA BAY AND THE QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTION.

THE FIRST SECTION OF THE ARTICLE DEALT WITH THE RECENT DEBATE OVER THE SAFETY OF THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR PLANT. MT CONCLUDED THAT HONG KONGS LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN CHINA AS DEMONSTRATED IN THIS DEBATE HIGHLIGHTED THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES CHINA WOULD ENCOUNTER HIN IMPLEMENTING THE ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS CONCEPT. NONETHELESS, A VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY HAD BEEN PROVIDED FOR CHINA TO GAMIN SOME HINSIGHT OF THE POLITICAL REALITIES OF A DEMOCRATIC, CAPITALIST SOCIETY.

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THE ARTICLE THEN SWITCHED TO THE QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTION. HIT MENTIONED THE DEMANDS OF SOME POLITICAL GROUPS FOR NO LESS THAN ONE-QUARTER OF THE SEATS MN LEGCO TO BE DIRECTLY ELECTED #N 1988. THEIR EXPECTATION WAS THAT THE DIRECTLY ELECTED ELEMENT *IN THE LEGISLATURE WOULD EVENTUALLY REPLACE THE APPOINTED OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL ELEMENTS, THUS CONSTITUTING 70 PER CENT OF THE LEGISLATURE BY 1997. IN ADDITION, THERE HAD BEEN CALLS FOR THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO BE RETURNED BY DIRECT ELECTION. SOME DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS HAD ALSO OPNED THAT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGES SHOULD BE ABOLISHED IN VIEW OF THE RRATIONAL ELEMENTS INVOLVED.

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AN ACCOUNT OF VIEWS PURPORTEDLY EXPRESSED BY SOME LEGCO/EXCO MEMBERS THEN FOLLOWED. CHEN SHOU-LAM, A CONVENOR OF THE LEGCO CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS PANEL, WAS QUOTED TO SUGGEST TWO POSSIBLE METHODS OF CONSTITUTING THE FUTURE LEGISLATURE: (A) DIRECT ELECTION WOULD BE ADDED TO THE EXISTING CHANNELS OF ELECTIONS, AND (B) THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS WOULD CONTINUE EXCEPT THAT ELECTION BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD BE REPLACED BY DIRECT ELECTION. THE ARTICLE SAND THAT ALTHOUGH THE FORMER METHOD ALLOWED FOR DIVERS- HFICATION OF THE ELECTION METHOD, IT WOULD ACTUALLY KEEP IN CHECK THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY-ELECTED LÉGCO MEMBERS. THE LATTER METHOD, HOWEVER, WOULD ENABLE MORE LEGCO SEATS TO BE FILLED BY DIRECT ELECTION. ACCORDING TO CHEN, THE MAJORITY VIEW OF THE PANEL WAS THAT DIRECT ELECTION SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN EITHER 1988 OR 1991.

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