CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 591
CONFIDENTIAL
FUKB 011/1
11 FEB 1988
12
TOP COM Q. DIST.?
056230
AN 7158
OF 101145Z FEBRUARY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
7
INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO BRUSSELS INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
WHITE PAPER
1.
FOLLOWING IS THE LINE THAT WE ARE TAKING IN BACKGROUND BRIEFING OF MEDIA FOLLOWING PUBLICATION OF WHITE PAPER:
BEGINS
1 =
WHITE PAPER. INTRODUCTION OF DE IN 91 A MAJOR STEP. DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ITS IMPORTANCE. IF LEGCO STILL PRESENT SIZE, 18 PER CENT OF MEMBERS WILL BE ELECTED BY DE. ALSO IMPORTANT THAT PRINCIPLE OF DIRECT ELECTIONS NOW ACCEPTED BY HK PEOPLE AND CHINESE. THIS IS NEW AND SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT.
FOR
HONG
2. WHY NOT 1988? HOWEVER YOU LOOK AT IT, SPLIT IN COMMUNITY. SUCH AN IMPORTANT CHANGE, NEED BACKING OF COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
NOW ONLY 3 YEARS KONG TENDS TO BE CAUTIOUS, PREFER GRADUAL CHANGE. SINCE FIRST EVER ELECTED MEMBERS OF LEGCO: WILL ONLY BE. 6 YEARS BETWEEN WHOLLY APPOINTED LEGCO AND INTRODUCTION OF DE.
3. CHINESE DIMENSION. DECISIONS BASED ON OUR PERCEPTION OF WISHES OF PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. CLEARLY SOME PEOPLE'S VIEWS WERE AFFECTED
BL. BY WISH FOR DEVELOPMENT TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH
IF THERE HAD
BEEN OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR 88 WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE WISHED TO
RESPOND TO THAT.
4.
/
FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. INCREASE OF 2 IN TO 25 PERCENT OF LEGCO MEMBERS. DIFFICULT TO GO
WHAT IS IN BL.
5. UC.
88 BRINGS UP
FURTHER UNTIL
CLEAR
CHANGES TO A
UNDERSTAND WHY UC MEMBERS DON'T WANT ANY COUNCIL THAT OPERATES VERY EFFICIENTLY. BUT IMPORTANT TO HAVE STRONG LINK WITH DBS. WP PROPOSALS WILL MAKE SYSTEMS SAME IN UC AND RC AREAS I.E.
EACH TIER APPOINTING REPRESENTATIVES TO NEXT HIGHER SIGNIFICANT THAT FOR FIRST TIME OVER 50 PER CENT OF UC MEMBERS WILL BE ELECTED.
/
TIER.
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PAGE CONFIDENTIAL
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