TNAG-2168-FCO40-3105-House-of-Commons-Foreign-Affairs-Committee-inquiry-into-Hong-1990 — Page 58

B

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2525

OF 270435Z JULY 89

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING

156442

MOLIAN 9064

OPTIONS ON COMPOSITION OF LEGCO IN 1991: OMELCO POSITION

SUMMARY

1. OMELCO HAVE AGREED A RECOMMENDATION ON THE COMPOSITION OF LEGCO IN 1991 AND THAT IN 1995 LEGCO SHOULD COMPRISE NO LESS THAN 50 PER CENT DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS.

DETAIL

2. THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS ISSUED AFTER THE OMELCO IN-HOUSE MEETING ON 27 JULY TO DISCUSS THE PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION IN

HONG KONG:

3. BEINGS QUOTE WE SPENT TWO-AND-A-HALF HOURS TO THOROUGHLY DISCUSS THE PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION, IN PARTICULAR THE PRE 1997 MODEL. WE AGREED TO RECOMMEND TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THAT IN 1991, THERE SHOULD BE 60 SEATS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, COMPRISING ONE-THIRD DIRECTLY ELECTED, ONE-THIRD FROM FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND ONE-THIRD APPOINTED AND OFFICIAL MEMBERS.

4. MEMBERS AGREED THAT IN 1995, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD COMPRISE NO LESS THAN 50 PER CENT DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS. MOST MEMBERS EXPRESSED THEIR PREFERENCE TO MAINTAIN AT 50 PER CENT DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1995. A FEW MEMBERS WISHED TO SEE THE PACE IN 1995 TO BE FASTER. BUT ALL OF US AGREED THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO ACHIEVE CONSENSUS AND UNITY UNQUOTE. ENDS

COMMENT

5. THE AGREEMENT WAS REACHED WITH CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY. JAMES TIEN, ONE OF THOSE WHO FAVOUR SLOWER CHANGE, LEFT THE MEETING AFTER STATING HE WOULD HAVE ABSTAINED. THE LIBERALS SECURED THE ADDITION OF THE WORDS QUOTE NO LESS THAN UNQUOTE TO THE EARLIER CONSENSUS THAT THERE SHOULD BE 50 PER CENT DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS

IN 1995.

WILSON