TNAG-2169-FCO40-3106-House-of-Commons-Foreign-Affairs-Committee-inquiry-into-Hong-1990 — Page 36

direct elections in 1995.

desirable

So that implies recognition that it is desirable

were. There were many

that the graph should be on an upward curve, as

Zi

attractions in deciding to go for a more radical programme of

democratisation, more directly elected seats in the Legislature in the

shorter term, but I believe it would have been a mistake to do that because

the important thing is to achieve an increase in democracy after 1997 and

as full democracy after 1997 as possible. The fact is, as the Committee

knows, the system of legislation which will govern the amount of democracy

after 1997 is in the hands essentially of the Chinese authorities and it

would have been futile and I believe deeply damaging to Hong Kong for us to

have established a system before 1997 which was simply subject to reversal

and complete upheaval in 1997. The convergence, as you describe it, is

sometimes talked about as though it is almost synonymous with appeasement

and I have to say it is not. It is actually an attempt to ensure that Hong

Kong's interests are best put forward and that is very widely recognised in

Hong Kong. The reaction of OMELCO after the Foreign Secretary made the

announcement he did in February on the figures for 1991 was of broad

support and recognition that having elections which take place in 1995 for

a legislative council which remains in office as constituted then

throughout the takeover, throughout the handover in 1997, is a goal well

worth reaching. In the absence of any such convergence I think one has to

look at what the effects would be. The authorities, those legislators

elected or appointed, whether elected directly or indirectly, in 1995 would

simply stop being legislators and a complete new legislature would have to

be elected or appointed at that stage under different arrangements,

arrangements put in hand solely by the Chinese authorities. I think there

is an increasing recognition in Hong Kong that it is very desirable to have

a legislature which can run through that handover date of 1997.

20