TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 361

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4. WAH KIU YAT PO REPORTED THAT CHINA AND BRITAIN HAD ALREADY SHOWN EACH OTHER THEIR STAND ON HONG KONG'S POLITICAL REFORMS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS. IT WAS HOPED THAT A FINAL DECISION WOULD BE REACHED BEFORE THE BLDC PLENARY SESSION SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY. THE PAPER, QUOTING SOURCES, SAID THAT THE PRIME MINISTER, THROUGH THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN PEKING, WAS FIGHTING FOR MORE DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE SARG IN A BID TO STABILISE CONFIDENCE. THE BRITISH HOPED THAT AT LEAST 20 SEATS WOULD BE RETURNED BY DIRECT ELECTIONS SO THAT THE POST-1997 POLITICAL SYSTEM WOULD MATCH THAT BEFORE 1997. THE SOURCES TOLD THE PAPER THAT IF IT WAS DECIDED AT THE COMING BLDC PLENARY SESSION THAT ONLY 18 SEATS WOULD BE RETURNED BY DIRECT ELECTIONS IN THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE 1991 LEGCO TO 15. THE NUMBER WOULD THEN BE INCREASED TO 18 IN 1995. UNDER THIS PACE OF DEVELOPMENT, THE PRE-1997 POLITICAL SYSTEM WOULD CONVERGE WITH THE BASIC LAW.

5. THE SUNDAY MORNING POST (4.2) QUOTED HONG KONG SOURCES AS INDICATING THAT DR DAVID OWEN HAD BEEN BRIEFED BY THE FOREIGN OFFICE BEFORE HIS VISIT TO CHINA, WHERE HE HAD TALKS WITH PREMIER LI PENG. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT SIGNALS FROM THE TALKS WERE MORE ENCOURAGING THAN THE DECISION BY BASIC LAW DRAFTERS IN GUANGZHOU LAST MONTH TO PRESS AHEAD WITH A BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE WITH ONLY 18 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE. THE REPORT WAS ALSO CARRIED IN TA KUNG PAO (5.2).

6. WAH KIU YAT PO QUOTED SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS BRANCH WAS CONSIDERING A PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LEGCO SEATS TO BE RETURNED FROM FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES IN 1991 FROM 14 TO 20. THE CHANGE WAS MADE IN THE LIGHT OF A PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SEATS TO BE RETURNED FROM FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES IN THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE. IT WAS HOPED THAT THE CHANGE WOULD FACILITATE CONVERGENCE OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURES BEFORE AND AFTER 1997. SOURCES BELIEVED THAT THE CHINESE WOULD NOT OPPOSE SUCH A CHANGE.

BASIC LAW

7. DAME LYDIA DUNN HOPED THAT BRITAIN WOULD PERSUADE CHINA TO SCRAP THE SEPARATE VOTING MECHANISM AND THE MAINSTREAM FORMULA ADOPTED BY THE BLDC SPECIAL GROUP ON THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE, THE MEDIA (3.2) REPORTED. THE REFORM CLUB SAID IT ACCEPTED THE PROPOSAL THAT 18 SEATS OF THE 1991 LEGCO WOULD BE RETURNED BY DIRECT ELECTIONS, SING TAO WAN PAO (4.2) REPORTED. CHAIRMAN OF THE CLUB BROOK BERNACCHI SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE OMELCO PROPOSALS AND THE 4-4-2' MODEL

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