TNAG-1598-FCO40-2191-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 99

SECRET

HK B. 011/2

15 DEC 1987

041110

MDHIAN 9855

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 101130Z FCO

TELNO 4678

OF 10105OZ DECEMBER 87

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

YOUR TELNO 3215: REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE COVERNMENT : DISTRICT

BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS

I RECOGNISE THAT DEALING WITH ONE ASPECT IN ADVANCE OF THE WHITE

PAPER IS LESS THAN IDEAL. BUT, AS EXPLAINED IN MY TELNO 4647, THERE

ARE GOOD REASONS WHY THIS SHOULD BE DONE.

2. THERE ARE ONLY TWO POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES COURSES OF ACTION.

ONE IS TO DELAY IMPLEMENTING THE NEW UC/DB CROSS-MEMBERSHIP

ARRANGEMENTS UNTIL 1991. THIS WAS THE PROPOSAL ORIGINALLY PUT TO EXCO (SEE PARA 6(B) OF OUR TELNO 207 TO PEKING). HOWEVER, EXCO WERE CONVINCED THAT THIS WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO DEFEND PUBLICLY (PARA 8

OF THE SAME TELEGRAM): THEY CONFIRMED ON 8 DECEMBER THAT THEY

PREFERRED THE PROPOSAL NOW UNDER CONSIDERATION.

3. THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE IS TO POSTPONE THE 1988 DB ELECTIONS SO

THAT THE WHOLE ELECTION PROCESS STARTS ONLY AFTER THE PUBLICATION

OF THE WHITE PAPER. WE DID CONSIDER THIS CAREFULLY SOME MONTHS

AGO, BUT CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WOULD NOT BE FEASIBLE

BECAUSE IT WOULD MEAN EXTENDING THE TERM OF OFFICE OF ALL

INCUMBENT DB MEMBERS. THIS PRESENTS NO PROBLEMS FOR APPOINTED

MEMBERS. WE FELT, HOWEVER THAT IT WOULD BE QUITE WRONG FOR US ARBITRARILY TO EXTEND FOR ANY FURTHER PERIOD OF TIME THOSE WHO

HAD BEEN ELECTED SPECIFICALLY FOR ONLY THREE YEARS. AT THIS LATE

STAGE THERE IS ANOTHER FACTOR. THE LAW STATES THAT NOMINATIONS MUST

OPEN BETWEEN 1 AND 15 JANUARY 1988. THERE IS SIMPLY NOT TIME TO

AMEND THIS LAW BEFORE THE END OF 1987.

4. IN THE LIGHT OF THE RESERVATIONS EXPRESSED IN TUR, WE HAVE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO MINIMISE THE

EXTENT TO WHICH WE WOULD NEED TO ANTICIPATE THE WHITE PAPER. WE

THINK THIS COULD BE DONE BY OMMITING FROM NEXT WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENT

THAT PROPOSAL THAT IN 1989 THE URBAN DBS SHOULD EACH ELECT A

REPRESENTATIVE MEMBER TO THE UC (PARA 4(B) OF MY TELNO 4647).

5. THE ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD THEN BE LIMITED TO :

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