TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 181

1988

LAW PROVISIONS ON THE POLICICAL STRUCTURE. THE SPECIAL GROUP MIGHT STILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATURE OR ON THE SELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ALTHOUGH VARIOUS OPTIONS CURRENTLY DISCUSSED WOULD PROBABLY

BE REFINED AND NARROWED DOWN.)

PUBLICATION OF DRAFT BASIC LAW.

THE PROBLEM

8.

,

THE ABOVE TIMETABLES SHOW THAT, DURING THE LATTER HALF OF 1987, WORK ON THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW WILL BE GOING ON BUT MAY NOT BE CONCLUDED BY THE TIME THE WHITE PAPER IS DUE TO BE PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER. SPECIFICALLY, THE WHITE PAPER WOULD HAVE TO BE DRAFTED WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE OUTCOME OF THE

DECEMBER 1987 BLDC PLENARY AT WHICH THE RELEVANT BASIC LAW PROVISIONS MAY TAKE SPECIFIC FORM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE BROAD DIRECTION WHICH THE BASIC LAW PROVISIONS WILL TAKE MAY HAVE THEN

BECOME CLEARER. NEVERTHELESS THE PROSPECTS FOR A SIMULTANEOUS

EMERGENCE OF COMPATIBLE VIEWS IN THE BLDC AND THE REVIEW EXERCISE,

PERMITTING AN OUTOMCE IN WHICH NEITHER SIDE APPEARS TO PRE-EMPT THE

OTHER, HAVE DIMINISHED.

THE TIMING OF THE 1987 REVIEW

9.

IN THE FACE OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS

PRESENT THEMSELVES.

(A) RETAIN THE PRESENT TIMETABLE.

10.

IF THE PRESENT TIMETABLE IS MAINTAINED IT WILL DEMONSTRATE

CLEARLY, BOTH WITHIN HONG KONG AND TO OUTSIDE OBSERVERS, THAT HMG AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE FIRMLY IN CHARGE OF THE GOVERNMENT

OF HONG KONG AND THAT THEY ARE DEALING FIRMLY WITH KNOWN CHINESE

MISGIVINGS ABOUT THE REVIEW. THE PROBLEMS OF TIMING REFERRED TO IN

PARAGRAPH 8 HOWEVER WILL ARISE.

(B) POSTPONE THE REVIEW TO 1988.

11. A SIGNIFICANT POSTPONEMENT OF THE REVIEW, PERHAPS, BY A FULL YEAR, WOULD CONSIDERABLY IMPROVE THE CHANCES OF ACHIEVING COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN ITS OUTCOME AND THE FUTURE BASIC LAW. THE DEATH

OF SIR EDWARD YOUDE AND THE NEED TO ALLOW TIME FOR THE NEW GOVERNOR

TO SETTLE IN, COULD THEORETICALLY BE USED AS THE REASON FOR A DELAY, BUT COULD CARRY NO CONVICTION LOCALLY. THERE IS STILL NO GUARANTEE, MOREVOER, THAT THE DRAFT SECTIONS OF THE BASIC LAW DEALING WITH THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE WILL HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN TIME, EVEN IF

PUBLIATION OF THE WHITE PAPER IS DEFERRED UNTIL THE END OF 1988.

12.

A DELAY OF A YEAR HAS OTHER MAJOR DISADVANTAGES. THE

INTENTION TO PROCEED WITH THE 1987 REVIEW ON SCHEDULE HAS BEEN

I firmly

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