TNAG-1453-FCO40-1964-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1986 — Page 185

Date

13.12.85 (cont'd)

14.12.85

Statements by Chinese

Officials

BASIC LAW (280)

Newspaper Comments/Editorials Non-Communist

Communist

Statements/Comments by others

The Express: The

re-election of

office-bearers of the

BLCC executive committee

is welcomed. This shows

that the authorities concerned are brave enough to admit their mistakes.

HK Times: The re-election of BLCC office-bearers has turned an "ugly show" into a "farce". The fact that Mr Mao Junnian of

the NCNA is still made the secretary-general to the panel shows that the Communist Party will not allow "outsider" to take up this key post.

A source quoted by Sing Tao Jih Pao: BLDC vice-chairman Sir Y.K. Pao has claimed full responsibility for the mistake leading to the BLCC office-bearer election controversy. He said he alone drafts the list of the seven office-bearers, and Mr Xu Jiatun has advised him not to propose the list but to no avail.

A group of about 100 lecturers and graduate school students at the two universities and the Baptist College (in a letter to the NCNA HK Branch): Although a fresh election of the

office-bearers was held,

public confidence in the BLCC has already been shaken.