TNAG-1503-FCO40-2061-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 200

CONFIDENTIAL

7. AS REPORTED IN PARAGRAPH 7 OF OUR TELNO 2709, THE MEDIA NOTED

THAT MR. MARTIN LEE AND SOME OTHER LEGCO UNOFFICIALS HAD TRIED

TO INVOKE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES)

ORDINANCE TO PRESS FOR THE RELEASE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT MR. LEE'S MAIN TARGET WAS THE LAZARD BROTHERS REPORT. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH MENG PAO, FS STATED THAT THE LAZARD BORTHERS REPORT CONTAINED A LOT OF COMMERCIALLY

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND THAT INVOCATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) ORDIANCE INVOLVED A CONSTITUTIONAL

QUESTION. IN A SEPARATE REPORT, MING PAO QUOTED A GOVERNMENT

SPOKESMAN AS SAYING THAT THE AG'S CHAMBERS WOULD NOT COMMENT

PUBLICLY ON THE QUESTION OF INVOKING THE ORDINANCE TO PRESS

FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO DISCLOSE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION BECAUSE

THEY DID NOT WANT TO INFLUENCE THE DECISIONS OF THE COUNCILLORS.

THE CALL FOR DISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION DID NOT GO

VERY FAR AS IT WAS QUICKLY TRANSORMED INTO A CALL FOR A SPECIAL

LEGCO N-HOUSE MEETING AND THEN A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL LEGCO

SESSION (SEE PARAGRAPH 8 BELOW).

8. SEVERAL PAPERS NOTED THAT THREE LEGCO UNOFFICIALS, MR. MARTIN LEE, MR. JACKHE CHAN AND DR. CONRAD LAM, WERE PLANNING TO HOLD A

PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE END OF AUGUST TO MAKE PUBLIC THE

INFORMATION THEY COLLECTED AND WERE PRESSING FOR A SPECIAL LEGCO

*IN-HOUSE MEETING TO CLARIFY LEGCO'S STAND BEFORE THE SIGNING OF

CONTRACTS. THIS HAD DRAWN QUICK RESPONSE FROM SOME OTHER LEGCO

UNOFFICIALS. MR. ALLEN LEE DESCRIBED THE SUGGESTION THAT LEGCO

SHOULD MEET TO PRESS A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE

DAYA BAY PLANT AS LUDICROUS. THE ACTING SENIOR LEGCO UNOFFICIAL

MR. S.L. CHEN, SAID THAT A SPECIAL LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING WAS OUT

OF QUESTION AS SOME MEMBERS WERE OUT OF THE TOWN. MR. CHEN'S

REFUSAL TO HOLD AN IN-HOUSE MEETING WAS NOT WELL RECEIVED BY THE

DISGRUNTLED COUNCILLORS. MR. MARTIN LEE TOLD A PRESS

CONFERENCE ON 21 AUGUST THAT HE WOULD REQUEST THE ACTING GOVERNOR

TO CONVENE A SPECIAL LEGCO MEETING DURING RECESS AND HE HAD GOT

THE SUPOORT OF DR. CONRAD LAM, MR. TA CHIN-WAH AND AN UNNAMED

UNOFFICIAL. PROMINENT COVERAGE WAS ACCORDED TO THE STATEMENT BY

THE ACTING GOVERNOR THAT HE FELT THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO RECONVENE LEGCO AT THIS STAGE AND THAT A DECISION ON WHETHER TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE AFTER THE LEGCO FACT-FINDING REPORT WAS READY. MR. MARTIN LEE SAID THAT HE WAS DISAPPOINTED BY THE DECISION OF THE ACTING GOVERNOR AND DR. CONRAD LAM SAND THAT THE INCIDENT INDICATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS JUST LIKE A 'LAME DUCK' · CONFIDENTIAL

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