SECRET
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 3OO1OOZ HONG KONG
TELNO 254
OF 29140OZ JANUARY 90
SECRET
HKB 01214
FIVE! MVEGISTRY
0 2 FEB 1990
ER
DES
INDEX
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062602
MDHOAN 2004
YAGISTRY
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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JEG HONG KONG-
12
YOUR TELNOS 350-1 AND PEKING TELNO 128: CONSTITUTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
1. WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS IN TURS. THE PAPER ON GEC
AND VOTING METHODS HAS NOW BEEN SUBMITTED TO MINISTERS.
2. MINISTERS ARE KEEN THAT WE SHOULD REVERT URGENTLY TO THE CHINESE, NOT ONLY IN ORDER TO PRESS FOR MORE DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1997, BUT ALSO TO EMPHASISE OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE GEC AND ABOUT THE NEW PROVISIONS IN THE BASIC LAW ON VOTING METHODS
AND NATIONALITY RESTRICTIONS ON LEGCO MEMBERS.
3.
WE CLEARLY NEED TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY TO PREPARE MATERIAL FOR OUR NEXT ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CHINESE. OUR VIEWS ON OTHER AREAS TO COVER ARE AS FOLLOWS.
VOTING METHODS
4. WE NOTE FROM PARAGRAPH 13 OF YOUR TELNO 350 THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR A TOTAL/TOTAL REMOVAL OF DIFFERENTIAL VOTING. WE AGREE. HOWEVER, SHOULD WE HAVE A FALLBACK POSITION WHICH WOULD INVOLVE SOME DEGREE OF DIFFERENTIAL VOTING (TO MEET THE CHINESE CONCERN OF GIVING FACE TO THEIR SUPPORTERS WHO BACKED THE BICAMERAL MODEL) BUT WHICH WOULD HAVE LESS EFFECT ON THE EFFICIENT WORKING OF THE LEGISLATURE QUERY.
THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF MARIA TAM'S PROPOSAL (PARAGRAPH 3 OF YOUR TELNO 323) OR SOMETHING ELSE WHICH INVOLVES
DIFFERENTIAL VOTING ON ONLY PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS.
GEC/ELECTION COMMITTEE
5.
WE HAVE MADE CLEAR TO THE CHINESE (IN THE SECRETARY OF
STATE'S MESSAGE OF 18 JANUARY AND IN OUR EARLIER TRILOGIES) THE
TYPE OF GEC THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO US. BUT WE CONSIDER WE SHOULD NOW PUT TO THE CHINESE A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL ABOUT HOW THE
GEC WOULD OPERATE. WE MIGHT EVEN TABLE A DRAFT ANNEX II TO THE
BASIC LAW COVERING THE ELECTION COMMITTEE PROVISIONS. IS THIS FEASIBLE OR DESIRABLE QUERY.
6. OUR OWN INITIAL THOUGHTS ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE GEC ARE
THAT EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT LEGCO MEMBERS
ELECTED BY A GEC AS FAR AS POSSIBLE REPRESENT A DIFFERENT KIND OF
CONSTITUENCY FROM EITHER THE FUNCTIONAL OR DIRECTLY ELECTED.
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