UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3361
OF 110553Z OCTOBER 89
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
UNCLASSIFIED
HKB 011 15
042657 MDHIAN 9263
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
MY LEGCO ADDRESS: MY SECOND IPT: DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
TEXT OF THE EXTRACT ON (QUOTE) THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT (UNQUOTE) IS AS FOLLOWS:-
BEGINS
(A) THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
40.
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.
41. 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 WISH TO 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.
42.
BEFORE TAKING THESE DECISIONS, WE WILL CONSIDER ALL ASPECTS OF THE COMPOSITION OF THIS COUNCIL: THE NUMBER OF
OFFICIAL AND APPOINTED MEMBERS, WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE A FURTHER INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS ELECTED BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTIT-
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