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REFLECTS THE REFERENCE IN THE PREAMBLE WHERE IT IS MADE CLEAR THAT THOSE ARE THE POLICIES ELABORATED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION. ACTIONS WITHIN HONG KONG

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

THE GOVERNMENT HAVE TAKEN CAREFUL NOTE OF THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION THAT FULL DEMOCRACY SHOULD BE INTRODUCED BEFORE 1997 AND THAT, CONSISTENT WITH MAINTAINING A NECESSARY DEGREE OF CONTINUITY, SHOULD BE INTRODUCED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (PARAGRAPHS 3.10). THE GOVERNMENT ALSO NOTED THE COMMITTEE'S BELIEF THAT

HONG KONG PEOPLE MUST BE ALLOWED TO DECIDE ON THEIR OWN SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT BEFORE AS WELL AS AFTER 1997.

11. OUR AIM THROUGHOUT HAS BEEN TO ESTABLISH IN HONG KONG BEFORE 1997 A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHICH INCLUDES A SUBSTANTIAL ELEMENT

OF DEMOCRACY AND WHICH CAN ENDURE AND FURTHER DEVELOP AFTER 1997. WHEN THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS SIGNED IN 1984, THERE WAS NO ELECTED ELEMENT OF ANY KIND IN THE LEGISLATURE. PROVISION FOR 24 MEMBERS TO BE INDIRECTLY ELECTED FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENT BODIES AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WAS MADE IN 1985. IN FEBRUARY 1988,

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THAT 10 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS WOULD BE INTRODUCED FOR THE FIRST TIME. IT BECAME CLEAR DURING 1989 THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG FAVOURED A MORE RAPID RATE OF

PROGRESS AS REGARDS DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS, WHILE CONTINUING TO ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO A SYSTEM WHICH COULD ENDURE AND DEVELOP

AFTER 1997. THE CONSENSUS WHICH OMELCO REACHED IN JULY 1989 ABOUT THE RIGHT PACE OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT WAS MUCH LESS AMBITIOUS THAN THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION.

12. ON 16 FEBRUARY 1990 THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY

ANNOUNCED THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO INTRODUCE 18 DIRECTLY

ELECTED SEATS IN 1991 AND AT LEAST 20 IN 1995. THIS IS A

SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER FIRST STEP TOWARDS FULL DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG THAN WAS PLANNED TWO YEARS AGO. IT IS TWO SEATS LESS THAN

THE PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD BY OMELCO IN JULY 1989 BUT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN THE 10 SEATS WHICH WERE ORIGINALLY ENVISAGED IN 1988. AS A RESULT OF OUR REPRESENTATIONS AND THOSE OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, THE FINAL VERSION OF THE BASIC LAW PROVIDES FURTHER PROGRESSION FROM 1997 ONWARDS, RISING TO 30 SEATS (FIFTY PER CENT OF THE LEGISLATURE THE REMAINDER BEING INDIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS) IN 2003, WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT FULL DIRECT ELECTIONS COULD BE INTRODUCED IN

2007. THIS RATE OF PROGRESS IS NOT AS FAST AS MANY PEOPLE IN

HONG KONG OR WE OURSELVES WOULD HAVE LIKED. WE WILL OF COURSE

CONTINUE TO URGE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO AGREE TO ACCELERATE

THE PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION. BUT HONG KONG CAN BE REASONABLY

SATISFIED WITH AN OUTCOME WHICH ENSURES THAT THE SYSTEM WHICH WE

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