DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
were held and their results taken into account.
taken to obtain a representative overall picture.
Care was
Top Secret
35.
Secret
Confidential
Restricted
Unclassified
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
The Review and the findings of the Survey Office
showed that public opinion was in favour of introducing a
directly elected element into the Legislative Council
before 1997, but was sharply divided on the timing of
this change. Some people favoured the introduction of
directly elected members in 1988, arguing that direct
elections would promote the development of more open,
accountable and representative government, and should
therefore be introduced as early as possible. Others
argued that it was too soon to take such a step in 1988,
only three years after the last major constitutional
change when indirect elections to the Legislative Council
were introduced, or because the system of elections to be
used after 1997 had not yet been established in the Basic
Law due to be promulgated in 1990. The fact that it was
widely believed that the Chinese Government did not
favour the introduction of direct elections before the
Basic Law was finalised may have had considerable
influence on public opinion. In view of the division of
views on the question of timing, and having taken into
account all the arguments put forward, the British and
Hong Kong Governments concluded that on balance it would
be right to make the next major constitutional change in
1991. The Hong Kong Government's White Paper published
in February 1988 announced that in 1991 10 seats would be
open for direct election from geographical
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.