TNAG-1478-FCO40-2010-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1986 — Page 16

MEMBERS SAID THAT THEY DID NOT SEE ANY ALTERNATIVE TO THE STRADDLE ARRANGEMENT FOR ENSURING SMOOTH TRANSITION, BUT THAT THEY ACCEPTED THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD DO NO MORE THAN MAKE AN ORAL MENTION OF THE PROBLEM AT THIS STAGE. THEY MADE

THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(A) GIVEN THE INCREASINGLY POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IN HONG KONG

IT WOULD BE NECESSARY BY THE EARLY 1990S FOR SOMEONE TO GO OUT INTO THE POLITICAL ARENA TO ARGUE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES. IT WOULD BE INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR THE

GOVERNOR TO DO THIS SEMICOLON

(B) THE POST OF DEPUTY GOVERNOR NEEDED TO BE ESTABLISHED EARLY

SO AS TO ACCUSTOM THE GOVERNMENT MACHINERY TO IT. ON THE OTHER HAND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE DESIGNATE WHO WOULD STRADDLE 1997 SHOULD BE INSTALLED AS LATE AS POSSIBLE. IN APPOINTING THE LATTER, THE OPPORTUNITY SHOULD BE TAKEN TO TRY OUT THE SYSTEM FOR ELECTION/SELECTION SET OUT IN THE BASIC LAW

SEMICOLON

(C) MISS TAM SAID THAT THE BLDC HAD GIVEN SOME PRELIMINARY

THOUGHT TO THE QUESTION OF THE FIRST CHIEF EXECUTIVE BUT HAD

YET TO COME UP WITH ANYTHING CONSTRUCTIVE.

(D) HAVING ACCEPTED THE NEED FOR STRADDLE, IT WAS NOT

UNREASONABLE THAT THE CHINESE SHOULD BE ALLOWED A SAY IN THE APPOINTMENT OF THE CE DESIGNATE.

5. ON THE 1987 REVIEW, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN STRUCK BY THE WAY IN WHICH MR WU IN NEW YORK HAD CLAIMED THAT OPINION IN THE ELDC WAS OPPOSED TO DIRECT ELECTIONS. IN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION IN LONDON, MINISTERS HAD DEBATED WHETHER WE SHOULD TRY AND PROMOTE A UNITY OF VIEW IN HONG KONG OR ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SPEAK UP WITH THEIR IDEAS HOWEVER OPPOSED THEY MIGHT BE. MISS TAM

SAID THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PERSUADE EVEN THE BLDC SUB-GROUP ON THE POLITICAL SYSTEM TO COME TO A COMMON VIEW. FOUR MEMBERS

WERE ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO DIRECT ELECTIONS. TWO MEMBERS SAW NO ALTERNATIVE TO ONE MAN ONE VOTE WHILE SHE STOOD IN THE MIDDLE. ALTHOUGH WE HAD TO REMEMBER THAT THE BLDC WAS CONCERNED WITH POST 1997 STRUCTURES ANY PROVISION FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS IN THE BASIC LAW WAS BOUND TO RAISE EXPECTATIONS. IF THE BLDC CAME DOWN IN

FAVOUR OF A 25 PERCENT DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGISLATURE AFTER 1997, THE QUESTION WOULD THEN ARISE OF WHEN AND HOW QUICKLY HONG KONG SHOULD BEGIN TO CONVERGE WITH THAT ARRANGEMENT. MEMBERS RECALLED THE OTHER ARGUMENT THAT NOTHING SHOULD BE DONE TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS UNTIL THE CONTENT OF THE BASIC LAW BECOMES CLEAR IN

1990/91.

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