TNAG-1852-FCO40-2627-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 109

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100413 MDHOAN 6071

DECISION TO GO AHEAD WITH CONSTRUCTION OF A SECOND AIRPORT SHOULD

BE TAKEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE:

THIS IS A MATTER FOR HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THIS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON 11 OCTOBER IN THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH TO LEGCO. THE COMMITTEE BELIEVES THAT FULL DEMOCRACY, IE 100 PERCENT DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS, SHOULD BE INTRODUCED BEFORE 1997:

- NOW CLEAR CONSENSUS THAT THE PROPOSALS FOR 1991 IN 1988 WHITE PAPER DO NOT GO FAR ENOUGH. BUT NO REAL CONSENSUS HOW

FAR TO GO BOTH IN 1991 AND IN 1997. 100 PERCENT DIRECT ELECTIONS

DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE WIDESPREAD SUPPORT. HMG MUST BE GUIDED BY HONG KONG OPINION.

NOTWITHSTANDING THE ABOVE, THE COMMITTEE BELIEVES MORE STRONGLY THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE MUST BE ALLOWED TO DECIDE ON THEIR OWN

SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT BEFORE 1997 AS WELL AS AFTER 1997:

AGREE FULL ACCOUNT SHOULD BE TAKEN OF VIEWS OF PEOPLE IN

HONG KONG.

A GREEN PAPER SHOULD BE PUBLISHED ON WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES

RELATING TO THE ELECTORAL LAW. RESULTS TO BE INCORPORATED INTO LAW FOR 1991 ELECTIONS:

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NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED WITH HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. ONE

ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED WOULD BE THE NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL CONSISTENCY SEATS, WHICH THE FAC DO NOT FAVOUR, IN 1991. OTHERWISE THE PURPOSE OF SUCH A GREEN PAPER IS NOT CLEAR.

A CONSEQUENCE OF FULL DIRECT ELECTIONS TO LEGCO IN 1997 WILL BE THE NEED TO INCREASE THE DIRECTLY ELECTED ELEMENT TO 50 PERCENT IN 1991:

STILL TOO SOON TO COME TO ANY FIRM CONCLUSIONS ON WHAT WILL

BE NEEDED IN 1991.

THE FIRST CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHOULD BE ELECTED BY AN ELECTORAL

COLLEGE ON THE LINES PROVIDED FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD CHIEF

EXECUTIVES IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW:

BEFORE EVENTS IN CHINA, WE HAD CONCLUDED THAT ARRANGEMENTS ON THESE LINES WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. WILL NEED TO KEEP UNDER REVIEW, IN LIGHT OF EVOLVING OPINION IN HONG KONG.

THE FIRST CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHOULD BE ELECTED SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE

TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY:

WE ARE ALSO THINKING ON THESE LINES, BUT WITHOUT SUCH A

SPECIFIC TIME FRAME.

THE SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT CHIEF EXECUTIVES SHOULD BE ELECTED BY

UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE:

J

WE WILL NEED TO KEEP THIS UNDER REVIEW AS OPINION EVOLVES

IN HONG KONG. THE FAC'S POSITION IS CONSISTENT WITH OMELCO'S

PROPOSAL THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHOULD

BE INTRODUCED NO LATER THAN 2003.

THE BALANCE OF POWER SHOULD BE FIRMLY IN FAVOUR OF THE

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