TNAG-1721-FCO40-2401-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-delegati-1988 — Page 194

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122607

MDHOAN 6069

IT

THE 1984 WHITE I REPEAT THAT NO PROMISES HAVE BEEN BROKEN. PAPER DID NOT, AS YOU CLAIM IN YOUR LETTER, CONTAIN A COMMITMENT THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS TO LEGCO WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN 1988. DID NO MORE THAN RECORD THE STATE OF PUBLIC OPINION (NEXT THREE WORDS UNDERLINED) AT THE TIME ON THE SUBJECT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO LEGCO, AND STATED THAT THE ISSUE WOULD BE FURTHER CONSIDERED IN A REVIEW TO TAKE PLACE IN 1987. THAT COMMITMENT HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT.

YOU REFER TO PROMISES THAT THE 1987 REVIEW WOULD BE WIDER IN SCOPE. WHEN IN JANUARY 1985 SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE LISTED THE QUESTIONS WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THEN EXPECTED WOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE 1987 REVIEW, HE SAID THESE WERE 'AS PERCEIVED AT THIS TIME'. BY CONTRAST THERE WERE JUST TWO ISSUES WHICH THE 1984 WHITE PAPER FORMALLY STATED WOULD BE CONSIDERED FURTHER IN THE 1987 REVIEW: THE QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS AND THE POSITION OF THE GOVERNOR AS PRESIDENT OF LEGCO.

THIS UNDERTAKING

HAS BEEN FULFILLED. OTHER ISSUES SUCH AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXCO WERE DESCRIBED AS MATTERS WHICH 'WILL BE CONSIDERED AT A LATER STAGE' GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ISSUES AND THEIR

•

FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS WE CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE TO DO SO IN THE 1987 REVIEW.

IN YOUR LETTER YOU CALL INTO QUESTION THE MOTIVATION OF THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS IN CONDUCTING THE PRESENT REVIEW. THE REVIEW HAS BEEN A GENUINE ONE. THE SURVEY OFFICE OPERATED INDEPENDENTLY: IT WAS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF INDEPENDENT MONITORS WHO HAVE TESTIFIED THAT IT PROPERLY, ACCURATELY AND IMPARTIALLY CARRIED OUT ITS DUTIES. THE PUBLIC OPINION POLLS COMMISSIONED BY THE SURVEY OFFICE WERE CONDUCTED BY A PROFESSIONAL FIRM. AT NO TIME DID THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OR THE SURVEY OFFICE GIVE DIRECTIONS TO THAT FIRM CONCERNING METHODOLOGY OR QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN. INSINUATIONS TO THE CONTRARY HAVE NO BASIS IN FACT.

IN YOUR LETTER YOU SET OUT THE VIEWS OF YOUR DELEGATION ON WE HAVE THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO LEGCO IN 1988. CAREFULLY NOTED THESE VIEWS, AS WE HAVE NOTED THE DIFFERING VIEWS ON THIS ISSUE EXPRESSED BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT ALL VIEWS WILL BE PROPERLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN REACHING THE DECISIONS TO BE RECORDED IN THE WHITE PAPER.

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