TNAG-1596-FCO40-2181-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 74

GRS 1523

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3014

OF 110945Z AUGUST 87

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

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1 1 AUG 1987

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PART ONE OF TWO

MIPT: STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT: LONGER TERM ISSUES: GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE

FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF DRAFT PAPER

BEGINS

INTRODUCTION

A 'GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE''

ON 28 JULY 0987, HM CHARGE D'AFFAIRES IN PEKING, MR PETER THOMPSON, HANDED OVER TO AMBASSADOR KE ZAISHUO FOUR PAPERS ON

ISSUES CONNECTED WITH THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE IN RELATION TO

THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATURE OF THE FUTURE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (SAR). THE PAPERS CONSIDERED, IN SOME DETAIL, THE ROLE AND INTER-RELATIONSHIP OF THE THREE MAIN INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT, NAMELY: THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (NOTE 1), THE EXECUTIVE (NOTE 2) AND THE LEGISLATURE (NOTE 3).

2. IN NOTES 1 AND 3 REFERENCE WAS MADE TO THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF A

BROADLY-BASED ''GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE'' (GEC) WHOSE

RESPONSIBILITIES MIGHT BE :

(A) TO ELECT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE HONG KONG SAR (NOTE 1)

SEMICOLON AND

(B) TO ELECT A PROPORTION OF MEMBERS OF THE SAR LEGISLATURE FROM A

LIST OF CANDIDATES NOMINATED BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (NOTES 1 AND 3).

3.

THE COVERING PAPER TO THESE NOTES EMPHASIZED THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE, AT THIS STAGE, TO PREDICT HOW THE CONCEPT OF A GEC, WITH SUCH IMPORTANT CONSTITUTIONAL FUNCTIONS, MIGHT BE RECEIVED IN HONG KONG IF SUCH A BODY SEEMED DESIRABLE THE POSSIBLE COMPOSITION

AND METHODS OF SELECTING MEMBERS WOULD REQUIRE FURTHER

CONSIDERATION.

4. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO CONSIDER, IN GREATER DETAIL, THE POSSIBLE COMPOSITION AND OPERATING PROCEDURES OF A GEC WERE

SUCH A BODY TO BE CREATED IN FUTURE.

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