TNAG-1600-FCO40-2193-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 60

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768

072211

MDHOAN 5416

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FM FCO

TO DESKBY 21010OZ HONG KONG

TELNO 3331

OF 21174OZ DECEMBER 87

INFO

IMMEDIATE PEKING

TO!

ADV

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY Q INS.

NST ?

HKB

22 DEC 1987

C OFFICER

INDIA

MIPT: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: WHITE PAPER

1.

FOLLOWING IS OUR SUGGESTED REDRAFT OF PARAS 7-9 OF THE DRAFT OF CHAPTER 3 (DIRECT ELECTIONS) OF THE WHITE PAPER. BEGINS

7.

BESIDES TAKING ACCOUNT OF ALL THE VIEWS EXPRESSED, THE GOVERNMENT HAS HAD REGARD TO OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. ON THE QUESTION OF THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS IT HAS TAKEN ACCOUNT OF THE NEED FOR THE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE TO EVOLVE TO MEET THE WISHES AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY: AND OF THE WELL ACCEPTED CASE FOR ADOPTING A PRUDENT AND GRADUAL APPROACH, HAVING DUE REGARD TO THE MAINTENANCE OF STABILITY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

8.

IN ADDITION, THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN ACCOUNT OF THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE EVOLUTION OF THE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IS CONDUCIVE TO A SMOOTH TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT IN 1997. IN PARTICULAR IT HAS CONSIDERED THE ISSUE IN THE LIGHT OF THE LIKELY PROVISIONS OF THE BASIC LAW FOR THE ELECTION OF THE FUTURE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION LEGISLATURE. IN THIS CONNECTION, IT HAS NOTED THAT THE LATEST DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE PROMULGATED

TO BE PROMULGATED IN 1990, ENVISAGES THE ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE BY A COMBINATION OF METHODS,

INCLUDING AN ELEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTION.

9.

HAVING CAREFULLY CONSIDERED ALL THESE FACTORS, THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONCLUDED THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN 1991.

10.

CHANGE

ON THE QUESTION OF HOW A DIRECTLY ELECTED ELEMENT SHOULD BE INTRODUCED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF HAVING DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS IN ADDITION TO INDIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS, BOTH REPRESENTING GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES. THERE WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT IN THE OVERALL BALANCE OF THE COUNCIL. THERE WOULD ALSO BE AN OVERALL INCREASE IN THE SIZE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL UNLESS THE NUMBER OF OTHER CATEGORIES OF MEMBERS ARE CORRESPONDINGLY REDUCED. MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO INTRODUCE DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS IN ADDITION TO MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

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