TNAG-1468-FCO40-1997-Visits-by-members-of-the-Office-of-the-Unofficial-Members-of-1986 — Page 39

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INCREASING DIALOGUE WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS AT VARIOUS LEVELS IS *IMPORTANT AND FULLY SUPPORTED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

5. PUBLIC INTEREST FOR THE 1987 REVIEW FOCUSES PRINCIPALLY ON:

W

A) POSSIBILITY OF SOME DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS TO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IT SEEMS THAT A SMALL STEP IN THIS DIRECTION WOULD BE GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE, BUT THIS IS NOT BY ANY MEANS A CERTAINTY, AND THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT OPINION IS SWINGING AGAINST IT:

B) WHETHER THE GOVERNOR SHOULD BE REPLACED AS THE PRESIDENT OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL!

C)

WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE SOME CHANGE IN THE WAY IN WHICH

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED/SELECTED:

D) A NUMBER OF LESS IMPORTANT ISSUES SUCH AS THE VOTING AGE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS OF URBAN COUNCIL/REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT

BOARDS.

THE TRANSITION OF GOVERNMENT MN 1997

6. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAS NOTED WITH SATISFACTION HMG'S INTENTION THAT THERE SHOULD BE A BRITISH APPOINTED GOVERNOR UP TO 1997. THE PRELIMINARY VIEW IS THAT A CHIEF EXECUTIVE MUST BE INTRODUCED BEFORE 1997, BY PERHAPS 1997, OR EARLIER, TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION AT THE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT. METHOD OF SELECTION NOT YET CLEAR, BUT IF POSSIBLE IT SHOULD MIRROR THAT TO BE USED AFTER 1997. THE FIRST STEP IN THIS TRANSITION SEEMS TO BE FOR THE GOVERNOR TO WITHDRAW FROM THE PRESIDENCY OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND FOR A NON-PUBLIC SERVANT TO BE INSTALLED.

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

7. THERE IS SOME TURBULENCE AT PRESENT, PERHAPS PARTLY DUE TO NCREASINGLY DIVERGENT VIEWS BEING EXPRESSED, (PARTICULARLY BY ONE MEMBER) AND THE DIFFICULTY FOR THE SENFOR UNOFFICIAL TO HOMOGENISE VIEWS AND TO PURSUE OUR TRADITIONAL CONSENSUS APPROACH. NOT POSSIBLE YET TO SEE WHAT MAY DEVELOP FROM THIS.

THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW

8. AFTER A HESITANT AND SOMEWHAT MIS-MANAGED START, THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW IS IN MOTION. THERE IS A TIMETABLE (FIRST DRAFT 1988, ENACTMENT 1990): A DRAFT STRUCTURE OF THE LAW HAS BEEN PRODUCED WHICH APPEARS MORE OR LESS ADEQUATE: AND MEETINGS OF THE SPECIAL GROUPS INTO WHICH THE BLDC HAS BEEN DIVIDED ARE PROCEEDING. SO FAR, THE CHINESE ARE ADHERING CAREFULLY TO THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, AND ARE TO SOME EXTENT RESPONSIVE TO HONG KONG VIEWS. ON KEY ISSUES THEY ARE UNDERSTAND- ABLY MUCH LESS FLEXIBLE. AT THIS POINT, THE PROSPECT OF A

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REASONABLE