TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 329

THIS PURPOSE.

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MDLIAN 1612

5. SING TAO JIH PAO (3.4) REPORTED THAT A BILL ON THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE WOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO PARLIAMENT ON APRIL 4 LONDON TIME. THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAID THAT THE BILL WOULD BE DEBATED IN PARLIAMENT ON APRIL 19, THE PAPERS (31.3) REPORTED. QUOTING SOURCES, SING PAO (2.4) REPORTED THAT ABOUT 6,000 PLACES UNDER THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE WOULD BE RESERVED FOR APPLICANTS CLOSER TO 1997 THE REMAINING QUOTA WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED AT THE END OF THIS YEAR THROUGH A POINTS SYSTEM OF EIGHT CATEGORIES OF PROFESSIONS AND TRADE WHICH HAD BEEN HARD HIT BY THE BRAIN DRAIN, THE PAPER SAID.

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FUTURE POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS

6. THE GOVERNMENT HAD DECIDED THAT THE TENURE OF OFFICE OF THE MEMBERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE TWO MUNICIPAL COUNCILS WOULD BE EXTENDED BY HALF A YEAR TO THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS IN 1991 IN LINE WITH PLANS FOR LEGCO, REGCO, URBCO AND DISTRICT BOARDS TO HOLD THEIR ELECTIONS WITHIN 12 MONTHS IN 1995, THE MEDIA (28.3) REPORTED QUOTING A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL.

7. THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONSIDERING INTRODUCING A QUASI-MINISTERIAL SYSTEM TO EXCO IN 1991. ITS ACCOUNTABILITY TO LEGCO, SING TAO JIH PAO (2.4) REPORTED, QUOTING A GOVERNMENT SOURCE. THIS ARRANGEMENT WAS TO ENSURE THAT GOVERNMENT BILLS WOULD HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF BEING ADOPTED IN LEGCO. IT WAS NOTED THAT SUCH A CHANGE WOULD BE IN LINE WITH THE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT PROVIDED FOR IN THE BASIC LAW.

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8 A HONG KONG DELEGATE TO THE NPC QUOTED LU PING AS SAYING THAT

SINCE THE DRAFT BASIC LAW HAD NOT STIPULATED THAT HONG KONG NPC DELEGATES COULD NOT BECOME LEGISLATORS AFTER 1997, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO STAND IN LEGCO ELECTIONS IN 1995, THE MEDIA (30.3) REPORTED. HE SAID THAT THE 1995 LEGCO WAS TO RIDE A 'THROUGH TRAIN' TO 1997. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SCM POST (31.3) LEGCO MEMBER MARTIN LEE SAID HE AGREED TO A CALL TO LIFT THE CURRENT BAN

ON LOCAL LEGISLATORS FROM SERVING OTHER ASSEMBLIES OUTSIDE HONG

KONG INCLUDING THE NPC.

!

BASIC LAW

9. DIRECTOR OF THE BLDC JI PENGFEI EXPLAINED THE BASIC LAW TO THE

DELEGATES ATTENDING THE THIRD PLENARY SESSION OF THE SEVENTH NPC IN PEKING, THE MEDIA (29.3) REPORTED IN WIDE COVERAGE. THE DOCUMENT WOULD BE PUT TO A VOTE AT THE CLOSING SESSION OF THE NPC PLENUM ON

APRIL 4 AND WOULD BE ADOPTED BY A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE. WEN WEI PO

(2.4) REPORTED THAT THE MAINSTREAM VIEWS OF THE NPC DELEGATES

2

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