TNAG-1858-FCO40-2633-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 104

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 261600Z FCO TELNO 3186

OF 26123OZ SEPTEMBER 89

INFO DESKBY 27010OZ PEKING

*

CONFIDENTIAL

НКВ

011 15

46

172606 MDHIAN 7200

MY 2ND IPT: MY ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL : 11 OCTOBER

DRAFT TEXT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IS AS

FOLLOWS:

(4) BUIDLING FOR THE FUTURE: POLITICAL

37.

IN THE NEXT DECADE, HONG KONG FACES A PERIOD OF UNPRECEDENTED POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE. WE MUST MANAGE THIS WITHOUT ENDANGERING OUR STABILITY. WE MUST CONTINUE STEADILY TO DEVELOP OUR OWN INSTITUTIONS IN WHICH OUR COMMUNITY HAS CONFIDENCE.

(A) THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

38.

DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS THERE HAS BEEN VIGOROUS DEBATE IN HONG KONG ABOUT HOW QUICKLY WE SHOULD DEVELOP OUR SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE BASED ON THE WIDEST POSSIBLE SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE INDEED SOMETIMES BEEN CRITICISED BY THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FASTER THAN THIS PRINCIPLE ALLOWS.

39. THIS YEAR A NUMBER OF MODELS FOR THE FUTURE COMPOSITION OF THIS COUNCIL HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD. ONE OF THESE WAS THE RESULT OF LENGTHY DISCUSSION BY THE NON-OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. THESE MODELS HAVE STIMULATED A GREAT DEAL OF DEBATE IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS A GOOD THING. THE ISSUES INVOLVED ARE VITAL FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. OUT OF THIS DEBATE I HOPE THAT A BROADLY HELD HONG KONG VIEW WILL EMERGE. THIS WOULD HELP THE DRAFTERS OF THE BASIC LAW WHEN THEY MEET LATER THIS YEAR AND EARLY IN 1990, TO CARRY OUT THE IMPORTANT TASK OF FORMULATING THE STRUCTURE OF HONG KONG'S POLITICAL SYSTEM IN AND AFTER 1997. THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ALSO RESPOND POSITIVELY TO SUCH A VIEW WHEN WE TAKE DECISIONS ON WHAT FURTHER CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE TO THE COMPOSITION OF THIS COUNCIL IN 1991.

40. BEFORE TAKING THESE DECISIONS, WE WILL CONSIDER ALL ASPECTS OF THE POSITION OF THIS COUNCIL: THE NUMBER OF OFFICIAL AND APPOINTED MEMBERS, WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE A FURTHER INCREASE IN THE NUMBER

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL