TNAG-1719-FCO40-2399-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1988 — Page 136

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FOLLOWING FOR D LIAO, SDA/CNTA

FROM CO HUM, HKD

COPIED TO PEKING

DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS

1.

HKB 0111, rute N113

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HKBOIIl

XIST

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR TELELETTER OF 16 FEBRUARY, SETTING OUT YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE AFFILIATIONS OF CANDIDATES FOR THE

FORTHCOMING DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS. IT WAS HELPFUL TO HAVE

THIS ANALYSIS. NO DOUBT YOU WILL BE DOING A SIMILAR EXERCISE ON

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES AFTER THE ELECTIONS: WE LOOK FORWARD TO

SEEING IT IN DUE COURSE.

/

2. TWO QUERIES OCCUR TO ME AT THIS STAGE. FIRST I AM A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT THE FACTION DESCRIBED AS PRO-PRC IS ONLY 11 PERCENT. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO KNOW WHAT DEFINITION YOU EMPLOYED. IS IT BASED ON EXPLICIT SUPPORT FOR THE PRC, OR ON COVERT SUPPORT GIVEN TO THE CANDIDATE BY PRC FORCES IN HONG KONG? IF IT WAS THE LATTER, I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE PROPORTION TO HAVE BEEN RATHER HIGHER.

3.

SECOND, I NOTE YOUR FORECAST THAT PRESSURE GROUPS ARE LIKELY TO WIN A MAJORITY OF SEATS IN TWO DISTRICTS. THIS WOULD OF

COURSE CREATE AN UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION: BUT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS TO BE IN PRACTICE. WOULD YOU EXPECT THE VARIOUS PRESSURE GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER IN HARMONY? AND IF SO COULD THEY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON POLICIES WITHIN

THESE DISTRICTS OR MORE GENERALLY, GIVEN THE PURELY ADVISORY ROLE

OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE LIMITED SCOPE OF THEIR ACTION

TION?

SIGNED CO HUM

N N N N

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