TNAG-1844-FCO40-2619-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 58

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TRAKSCRIPT C - BOJG KONG SELECT COMMITTEE MEETING

22 MAR 89

16

FONLIGH SEC. AMY COORT):

The evolution is still not complete because there is the

But I debate taking place about the pace of change after 1997. think there is a recognition by many people within Hong Kong that it is desirable to experience an evolution that is likely to be

durable,

QUESTION:

a number

on the practice of elections in Hong Kong, I was struck by the Annual Report for 1988 which showed that only half of the

Have you got 26 indirectly-elected seats on LAGCO were contested. any sort of view about that and also, as I understand it, of the. on the local councils, there was not as mich municipal elections, turp out was very low where there was direct election. Does this indicate do you think that as yet the idea of direct election has not got as much widespread popular backing as one

would have expected?

FOREIGN SECRETARY:

to that.

And I

I de oot know if one can give a definitive answer I suppose we can start from the fact that turn-out in local elections in this country is not always dramatically high. think the other feature is, I do not know, this is pure speculation on my part, that indirect elections electing people from within a constituency, there may well be a greater