TNAG-1850-FCO40-2625-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 110

1989-06-12 21:12 CUT RADIO TECH SERVICES.

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TRANSCRIPT D: SELECT COMMITTER ON HONG KONG

12 JUNE 1989

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SIR DAVID WILSON (CONTD);

Opinion in Hong Kong now is focussing on election of

-

that

a potential Chief Executive rather than selection

is the same AMELCO opinion that Mr. Canavan referred to, If that is accepted as what goes eventually into the Basic Law, you would have a Chief Executive who was elected in

Hong Kong and you would have a Legislature which was

elected in Hong Kong by different meaNS, so they would

both be elected,

In the Draft at the moment, the Legislature does

have very considerable power. Above all, it has the

power of the purse which in Westminster, I think, has been

crucial historically

-

they have that power.

There is, as you say, the question of who dismisses

who when there is a deadlock,

provision in both directions.

There is actually a

There 16 a provision for

the Chief Executive to dissolve the Assembly

as there is

and then

in any government structure that I am aware of

there is a process of impeachment of a Chief Executive by

the Legislature.

But I do not think it would be right, even in the

present Draft basic Law, to think of that as something

which is a weak Legislature.

power.

It has very considerable