TNAG-1598-FCO40-2191-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 109

96

SECRET

Redacted under FOI exemption section 27(1).

033410

MDHIAN 9536

OF THE WHITE PAPER: BUT THEY SAW NO ALTERNATIVE TO DOING SO GIVEN THE DB ELECTIONS TIMETABLE (WHICH IN ITSELF WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE AT THIS LATE STAGE: SEE OUR TELNO 4522).

4. WE SHALL IN ANY CASE HAVE TO ANNOUNCE VERY SHORTLY THE NUMBER OF ELECTED SEATS IN EACH DB TO BE FILLED BY THE ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN MARCH 1988. SUCH AN ANNOUNCEMENT WILL INEVITABLY LEAD TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF APPOINTED AND ELECTED DB MEMBERS AND ABOUT THE FUTURE OF URBAN COUNCILLORS' EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSHIP OF DB'S. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE PROPOSE TO ANNOUNCE IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK (BEFORE 18 DECEMBER, WHEN THE NUMBER OF SEATS FOR EACH DB FOR THE TERM COMMENCING APRIL 1988 WILL BE GAZETTED)

(A) THE NUMBER OF DB SEATS:

<

(B) THAT THE RATIO OF ELECTED TO APPOINTED MEMBERS ON EACH DB WILL REMAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 2:1 AS AT PRESENT:

(C) THAT UC DBS AS FROM

MEMBERS WILL CEASE TO BE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF URBAN

1989:

(D) THAT IN 1989 THE URBAN DBS WILL EACH ELECT A REPRESENTATIVE MEMBER TO THE UC:

FOR

(E) THAT AMENDMENT BILLS WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO, ENACTMENT BEFORE THE DATE OF THE NEXT DB ELECTIONS (10 MARCH 1988), TO ENABLE UC MEMBERS WHO ARE ELECTED TO DBS IN 1988 TO RETAIN BOTH THEIR UC AND DB SEATS.

5. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER YOU SEE ANY OBJECTIONS TO ALTHOUGH THE PROPOSED COURSE OF ACTION. IT ALSO SEEMS TO US THAT, I HAVE GIVEN ZHOU NAN A FAIRLY PRECISE INDICATION OF OUR THINKING ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THE UC/DB RELATIONSHIP ISSUE

IT

WOULD NEVERTHELESS BE A PRUDENT COURTESY FOR THE EMBASSY TO INFORM THEM IN ADVANCE IN A LOW-KEY MANNER, OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE IT IS MADE. SUBJECT TO YOUR AGREEMENT, I PROPOSE THAT PEKING BE INSTRUCTED TO SPEAK TO THE CHINESE ON OR ABOUT 11 DECEMBER ALONG THE LINES OF THE DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE IN MIFT.

WILSON

YYYY

PAGE 2 SECRET