TNAG-2212-FCO40-3172-Hong-Kong-annual-report-for-1990-1991 — Page 49

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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The first

flight under the new programme took place on 1 December

1990.

24. On the international front, an informal meeting of the

Steering Committee was held in May in Manila, but no

agreement was reached on the central issue of mandatory

repatriation or on the timing for the next formal Steering Committee meeting.

25. Meanwhile, a new centre at Tai A Chau, with a major

contribution by the British Government of eight million

pounds which will meet half the cost, will be completed in

early 1991. This new centre will provide extra

accommodation facilities and thus make it possible to close

down some existing centres and relieve overcrowding in

others. It is the intention of the Hong Kong Government to

vest management of the new centre in the hands of a

voluntary agency with a view to experimenting with a more

open and liberal approach to camp management.

VI CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

26.

Some important decisions were taken about Hong Kong's future political development in the course of the year. When the Joint Declaration was signed in 1984 there was no elected element of any kind in the legislature. Indirect

elections to functional constituencies were introduced in

1985. Then on 16 February 1990 the Foreign and Commonwealth

Secretary announced the Government's intention to introduce

18 directly elected seats in the legislature in 1991 and at least 20 in 1995. This was a substantially greater step towards full democracy in Hong Kong than had been envisaged in the 1988 White Paper. The detailed arrangements for the

1991 elections were announced on 21 March 1990. The number

of functional constituency seats will be increased from 14

to 21; the number of officials will be reduced from 10 to 3;

ALAAEV/9

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