CONFIDENTIAL
0020.
MDLIAN 9
15
CONSOLIDATE THEIR POSITION TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT IT EFFECTIVELY DETERS ANY CHALLENGERS (SEE PARA 4 BELOW). WE ALSO KNOW FOR A FACT THAT SOME PROMINENT DB MEMBERS HAVE DECIDED TO FOREGO THE DB ELECTION IN ORDER TO CONCENTRATE ON THE DIRECT ELECTION TO LEGCO. CHINA'S RECENT INTERFERING ATTITUDE TO HONG KONG AS EVIDENCED BY CHINA'S ASSERTION THAT THE CPG COULD REPRESENT THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG PEOPLE BEFORE 1997 HAS IN ADDITION BEEN CITED AS A FACTOR AFFECTING PEOPLE'S ENTHUSIASM TO RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE.
4. OF THE 81 CANDIDATES THAT HAVE BEEN ELECTED UNOPPOSED, 73 ARE INCUMBENTS. AMONG THE 81, 25 ARE SPONSORED BY LIBERAL GROUPS, ANOTHER 10 BY LDF, AND 2 BY THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION. THIS BROADLY ACCORDS WITH THE LARGER PICTURE OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF DB CANDIDATES.
LIBERALS
5. THE THREE MAJOR LIBERAL GROUPS, I.E. THE UNITED DEMOCRATS OF HONG KONG (UDHK), THE ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRACY AND PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD (ADPL), AND MEETING POINT (MP), FIELDED A TOTAL OF 99 DB CANDIDATES (21 PERCENT OF ALL CANDIDATES). OF THESE UDHK HAS THE LION'S SHARE OF 70, ADPL HAS 17 AND MP 12. PROTRACTED TALKS TO FORM A LIBERAL COALITION TO CONTEST THE 1991 ELECTIONS FAILED
TO PRODUCE ANY AGREEMENT FOR LEGCO AND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS. THE GROUPS NEVERTHELESS AGREED NOT RUN AGAINST EACH OTHER IN THE DB ELECTION. EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE OF WELL-PUBLICISED BREACHES, THIS AGREEMENT HAS ON THE WHOLE BEEN HONOURED. UNDER THE SURFACE, HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN CONTINUED FEUDING BETWEEN UDHK AND ADPL OVER A NUMBER OF ISSUES. THESE INCLUDE ADPL'S RECRUITMENT OF A REPORTEDLY PRO-CHINA ECONOMIST (DR LAW CHEUNG- KWOK) TO RUN WITH ADPL CHAIRMAN FUNG KIN-LEE IN THE LEGCO CONSTITUENCY OF KOWLOON WEST AND UDHK'S COUNTERMOVE TO FIELD ITS OWN CANDIDATE TO RUN AGAINST FUNG AND LAW.
6. AS ANTICIPATED IN TUR, UDHK CHAIRMAN MARTIN LEE BEGAN TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM THE HK ALLIANCE IN SUPPORT OF PATRIOTIC DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENTS IN CHINA. LEE IS NO LONGER ON THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE ALLIANCE AND HAS BEEN TAKING A VERY LOW PROFILE IN ITS ACTIVITIES. IN THE SAME VEIN, UDHK SIDE-STEPPED THE QUESTION OF RELATIONS WITH CHINA IN ITS 10-POINT PLATFORM. WHEN PRESSED, MARTIN LEE EXPLAINED THAT UDHK'S POLICY WAS NOT TO GET INVOLVED IN CHINA ISSUES UNLESS THEY AFFECTED HONG KONG DIRECTLY. OTHER LIBERAL GROUPS HAVE DEMONSTRATED EVEN GREATER PRAGMATISM IN THE CHINA QUESTION. ADPL REPORTEDLY AGREED TO RECOGNISE THE CPG AS THE LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT
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