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(130
065347
MDHIAN 7516
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 121200Z FCO
TELNO 635
OF 121030Z FEBRUARY 88
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
WHITE PAPER: COMMUNITY REACTIONS
SUMMARY
·HIB Oilli
1. MANY PEOPLE HAVE NOT READ THE WHITE PAPER BUT HAD BECOME AWARE OF ITS CONTENTS THROUGH THE MEDIA. INITIAL FEEDBACK SUGGESTS THAT
MOST PEOPLE CONSIDER THE WHITE PAPER A REASONABLE AND SENSIBLE COMPROMISE, CONTAINING NO MAJOR SURPRISES, AND MUCH EASIER TO READ THAN THE GREEN PAPER. THEY ALSO TEND TO AGREE THAT CHANGES TO THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE SHOULD BE GRADUAL AND PRUDENT.
DETAILS
CHINA'S INFLUENCE
2. INITIAL FEEDBACK THROUGH DISTRICT OFFICES SHOWS THAT MOST
CONTACTS BELIEVE CHINA HAD A CONSIDERABLE INFLUENCE ON THE DECISIONS IN AND DRAFTING OF THE WHITE PAPER. THIS BELIEF, HOWDVER, DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE ADVERSELY AFFECTED THEIR VIEWS OF THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE WHITE PAPER.
DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1991
3.
REACTION WAS MIXED BUT ON BALANCE MORE PEOPLE ACCEPTED 1991
AS THE RIGHT YEAR FOR INTRODUCING DIRECT ELECTIONS. MOST RESPONDENTS
WERE RELIEVED THAT THE AGONIZING DEBATE OVER THE TIMING OF DIRECT
ELECTIONS WAS OVER AND WELCOMED GOVERNMENT'S CLEAR COMMITMENT IN THIS IMPORTANT AREA.
VICTORY ON THE
4. SOME PEOPLE CONSIDERED THE DECISION A DIPLOMATIC
PART OF HMG BUT THERE WERE ALSO PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED THAT BRITAIN
HAD YIELDED TO PRESSURE FROM CHINA IN NOT INTRODUCING DIRECT
ELECTIONS IN 1988.
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
·
5. REACTION TO THE ABOLITION OF THE DB ELECTORAL COLLEGE IN 1991
WAS MIXED THE CRITICS CONSIDERED THAT THE DECISION WOULD WEAKEN
THE STATUS AND ROLE OF DBS, SEVER THE LINK BETWEEN DBS AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND PUT OFF GOOD CANDIDATES FROM DB
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