TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 188

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TO DESKBY 06120OZ FCO

TELNO 38

OF 0610OOZ JANUARY 87

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

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13 JAN 1967

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PERSONAL FOR LAYDEN, HKD, FROM ACTING GOVERNOR.

YOUR TELNOS 6-8 AND PEKING TELNO 19: 1987 REVIEW.

1. LIKE PEKING, I ALSO THOUGHT THAT THE DRAFT PAPER IN TURS WAS ON THE RIGHT LINES. I HAVE NEVERTHELESS A NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS TO SUGGEST, IN MANY CASES FOR REASONS OF EMPHASIS AND INCLUDING SOME POINTS OF SUBSTANCE. FOR CONVENIENCE, MIFT CONTAINS A REVISED TEXT, WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT OF THE COMMENTS IN PEKING TUR.

2. THE MAIN CHANGES TO THE DRAFT IN TUR ARE AS FOLLOWS :

(A) PARA 1. THIS HAS BEEN REPHRASED TO BASE SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS ON THE PRESENT TIMETABLE. FOR THIS REASON WE HAVE ALSO BROUGHT OLD PARA 7 UP TO PARA 5.

(B) PARA 4. THIS HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO BRING OUT THE CHINESE POSITION MORE FULLY.

(C) PARA 7 (OLD PARA 6), WE HAVE EXPANDED SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND INSERTED A REFERENCE TO THE MEETINGS OF THE BLDC SUB-GROUP ON THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE, TO EMPHASIZE THAT CONSIDERATION OF THESE

ISSUES BY THE BLDC WILL IN FACT BE TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

(D) PARA. 8. THIS HAS BEEN INSERTED TO SET OUT THE PROBLEM OF TIMING ACCORDING TO OUR PRESENT TIMETABLE.

(E) PARAS 11-14. THIS SECTION HAS BEEN REWRITTEN TO EMPHASIZE THE DISADVANTAGES OF THIS OPTION IN HONG KONG TERMS. THE POINT IN PARA 14 IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. I DOUBT IF THERE WOULD BE ANY REAL OPPOSITION TO EXTENDING THE CURRENT LEGCO TERM FOR A SHORT PERIOD IF THIS WAS, FOR EXAMPLE, NECESSARY TO ALLOW TIME FOR NECESSARY AMENDING LEGISLATION TO BE PASSED (AS IN 1985), BUT I CONSIDER THAT AN EXTENSION BY A YEAR IN ORDER TO DEALY THE REVIEW WOULD BE EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL, NOT ONLY AMONG LEGCO MEMBERS THEMSELVES BUT ALSO AMONG THOSE WHO ELECTED THEM IN 1985 FOR A 3-YEAR TERM.

(F) PARA 18. WE HAVE SPLIT THE ORGINAL SUB-PARAGRAPH 16(111) INTO TWO, AS IT SEEMED TO US TO COVER TWO SEPARATE EXERCISES.

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