TNAG-1469-FCO40-1998-Visits-by-members-of-the-Office-of-the-Unofficial-Members-of-1986 — Page 55

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Westminster about this also. Opinion there would generally favour

direct elections.

19.

Mr Renton asked whether the Chinese might bring forward the

drafting of the relevant section of the Basic Law to 1987 so that

there could be immediate compatibility between this and the outcome

of the Review. The Governor noted that one difficulty about this

was that there would then be pressure for the review to be brought forward: a "leap-frogging" effect. The HKG aimed to produce their green paper in April. The special committee of the BLDC would have to make its report, which would then be turned into a draft section

of the Basic Law by the BLDC itself. It was unlikely that this process could be speeded up. He thought a solution might be to devise the terms of the green paper so as to give people a wide and genuine choice: no direct elections; direct elections in a described

form in 1988; or direct elections in the same

the same form at a later stage. Two of these options would give no real difficulty to the Chinese:

the first and third. The second would be more difficult. But even this difficulty could perhaps be overcome by careful designing of the suggested form for direct elections. It would be important to avoid so annoying the Chinese that they would veto any particular outcome of the Review. The crucial question would be whether the method set out in the green paper for direct elections could be such

to minimise the chances of party political dissension in Hong Kong. If the method were acceptable to the Chinese, then the timing of its introduction would be less of a problem. The Secretary of

State observed that it would be very difficult to work this out

symbiotically with the Chinese. A lot of contact would be needed.

as

20.

The Governor noted that the question of the method for direct

elections in the Basic Law would also arise soon. If there were no

provision for direct elections, he did not think the draft Basic Law would be acceptable to the people of Hong Kong. Again the method

for direct elections was an issue: the Chinese might approve something in the Basic Law context which could be put into effect by

us in 1988. But it would be necessary for the Basic Law to be flexible enough not to set an electoral procedure in concrete for 60

years.

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