TNAG-2218-FCO40-3186-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-Letters-Patent-and-R-1991 — Page 99

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO 764

OF 191335Z APRIL 91

CONFIDENTIAL

Mon 02/2 TOP COPY

Q DIST?

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124202

MDLOAN 9074

PERSONAL FOR SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS FROM PAUL, HKD DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG

·

1 WHEN WE MET IN HONG KONG LAST WEEK I MENTIONED TO YOU THAT MARTIN LEE HAD RAISED WITH US A NUMBER OF POINTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG. HE HANDED OVER A

LIST OF THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(1) VOTER REGISTRATION

(2) ELECTORAL COMMISSION

(3) CRITERIA FOR DRAWING BOUNDARIES

(4) VOTING AGE 18

(5) PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

(6) POLITICAL PARTIES AND LIMITED COMPANIES

(7) DONATIONS TO PARTIES

(8) IDENTIFICATION ON BALLOT PAPERS

2. I APPRECIATE THAT THESE ARE MATTERS WHICH WILL NOT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED UNTIL AFTER THE SEPTEMBER ELECTIONS. BUT, AS YOU KNOW, MARTIN LEE HAS BEEN LOBBYING VIGOROUSLY HERE RECENTLY AND I AM SURE THAT THE ISSUES WILL BE RAISED (EG BY OPPOSITION MPS) IN THE COMING WEEKS. THERE IS AN INCREASING LIKELIHOOD THAT THERE WILL BE A DEBATE ON HONG KONG, PROBABLY NEXT MONTH.

3. IT WOULD THEREFORE BE MOST HELPFUL IF YOU COULD LET US HAVE

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF YOUR THINKING ON THE ISSUES LISTED ABOVE AND

ADVICE ON A LINE TO TAKE IN PUBLIC.

HURD

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