TNAG-2168-FCO40-3105-House-of-Commons-Foreign-Affairs-Committee-inquiry-into-Hong-1990 — Page 45

DEMOCRATISATION IN HONG KONG

Objectives

Pace of Democratisation

- To stress the need for realism about the constraints

which China's attitude places on pace of democratisation and

to persuade the Committee that our policy strikes the right

balance if the arrangements we set in place are to endure

after 1997.

- To explain that we cannot say at this stage how and when

we will raise this issue with the Chinese but that we have

already made clear that we will do so when circumstances are

propitious.

Green Paper

- To persuade the Committee that the views of the Hong Kong

people have already been taken into account by means of the

Basic Law consultation process as well as being reflected in

the OMELCO consensus of July 1989, which was supported by 15

of the District Boards.

- To emphasise that LegCo will have ample opportunity to

debate the detailed arrangements for the 1991 elections.

Indirect elections

-

To explain how the system of indirect elections will operate and to hand over a paper setting out the details.

Chief Executive: Selection

- To explain the Basic Law provisions for the election of

the first Chief Executive.

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