TNAG-1870-FCO40-2658-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau.-With-map-1989 — Page 149

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM LISBON

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 303

OF 29130OZ SEPTEMBER 89

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB. 2014

Ne zadio

INFO PRIORITY UKREP LG HONG KONG, HONG KONG, PEKING

673

HONG KONG TELNO 3517 (NOT TO ALL): MACAU:

75

006461

MDLIAN 4538

Reply to

pax 8 on

26 XIII

guitare

tel to Livia

CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

1. PORTUGUESE CONSTITUTION HAS INDEED BEEN AMENDED AS TUR SUGGESTS. HEAD OF CHANCERY CALLED ON CATARINO ON 28 SEPTEMBER TO DISCUSS THIS,

AND CATARINO'S RECENT VISIT TO MACAU.

2. CATARINO SAID THAT MACAU'S ORGANIC STATUTE WAS BEING REVISED NOW THAT THE PORTUGUESE CONSTITUTION HAD BEEN AMENDED. THE PROPOSED INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY SEATS (CATARINO CONFIRMED THAT THE PROPOSED CHANGES WERE AS SET OUT IN TUR) WAS ONE ASPECT OF THE REVISION. THE OTHER, FOR WHICH REVISION OF THE PORTUGUESE CONSTITUTION HAD BEEN NECESSARY, WAS TRANSFER OF VARIOUS COMPETENCES, PARTICULARLY IN THE JURIDICAL FIELD, FROM LISBON TO

MACAU.

3. THE PROPOSED CHANGES HAVE TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE MACAU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY BEFORE BEING PUT TO THE COUNCIL OF STATE (BROADLY EQUIVALENT TO OUR PRIVY COUNCIL) IN LISBON AND THEN TO THE ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC FOR RATIFICATION. IT IS NOT YET CLEAR HOW LONG THIS PROCESS WILL TAKE, BUT THE GOVERNMENT HAS A MAJORITY IN THE ASSEMBLY AND THERE WILL PROBABLY ANYWAY BE LITTLE OPPOSITION (APART PERHAPS FROM THE COMMUNISTS).

4. CATARINO SAID THAT THE PORTUGUESE HAD MADE IT CLEAR TO THE CHINESE THAT THIS WAS AN INTERNAL PROCESS WITH WHICH THE CHINESE COULD NOT INTERFERE. THE CHINESE HAD ACCEPTED THAT, BUT HAD SOUGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS PRIVATELY TO THE PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES. THE PORTUGUESE FOR THEIR PART HAD AGREED TO THIS, AND HAD DISCUSSED THE ORGANIC LAW IN INFORMAL CONTACTS,EG. EITHER SIDE OF THE MOST RECENT JLG. THE PORTUGUESE HAD AT THE SAME TIME MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE CHINESE SHOULD NOT INITIATE PUBLIC DEBATE OR CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHANGES. CATARINO SAID THAT THE PORTUGUESE HAD GONE ALONG WITH CHINESE WISHES IN THE HOPE OF SECURING A SIMILAR AGREEMENT OVER THE PRESENTATION OF THEIR OWN VIEWS ON THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW. THIS APPROACH HAD BORNE FRUIT DURING CATARINO'S RECENT VISIT,

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