TNAG-1596-FCO40-2181-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 35

CONFIDENTIAL

021720

MDHIAN 0955

COLLEGE TO FORM A NOMINATING COMMITTEE TO NOMINATE CANDIDATES SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN FOR THE POST OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SQUARE BRACKETS ENDS. THE OTHER OPTION WAS THAT CANDIDATES NOMINATED BY A FIXED.

NUMBER OF ELECTORS AND SECONDED BY A FIXED NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD STAND FOR ELECTION BY THE GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE. THE PROPSAL SAID THAT THE SECOND OPTION WOULD BE MORE OPEN AND WOULD THEREFORE BE MORE CONDUSIVE TO BUILDING UP CONFIDENCE IN THE ELECTORAL PROCEDURES AMONG HK PEOPLE. AS REGARDS THE METHOD OF SELECTION OF MEMBERS OF LEGCO (SIC), THE PROPOSAL SUGGESTED THAT THEY SHOULD BE RETURNED THROUGH THREE CHANNELS: ELECTIONS BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, DIRECT ELECTIONS ON A GEOGRAPHICAL BASIS, AND ELECTIONS BY A GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE. IN REGARD TO ELECTION BY A GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WOULD SUBMIT A LIST OF CANDIDATES TO THE GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE, WHICH WOULD THEN SELECT THE CANDIDATES BY PREFERENTIAL ELECTIONS. THE PROPOSAL SUGGESTED THAT THE BASIC LAW SHOULD NOT SPECIFY THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SEATS TO BE ELECTED BY EACH OF THESE THREE CHANNELS, BUT IT COULD SPECIFY THE MAXIMUM OR THE MINIMUM PERCENTAGE OF SEATS TO BE RETURNED BY EACH OF THE THREE CHANNELS.

ENDS

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

23

DISTRIBUTION

24

HONG KONG AGREEMENT RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH (FE)

DEP HD/PUSD

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR EGGAR

MR MCLAREN

MR GILLMORE

ADDITIONAL

1

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

NNNN

2

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL