TNAG-2446-FCO40-3562-Political-parties-in-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 55

D of Adm

File No.

CONFIDENTIAL

\pa. Political Partres

Page....

Miss Sales

ли

78.

Meeting with Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL): 23 July

(See Elections

file)

Dr

The Hon Fung Kin-kee, Mr Leung Kwong-cheong, Law Cheung-kwok, Mr Wong Kwok-tong, Mr Liu Shing-li, Mr Wong Chung-ki, Mr Leung Kam-to, Madam Wong Kwai-wan, Mr

Hui Kam-shing and Mr Wong Chi-tsing of the Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL) called on the Governor on 23 July.

The

He

2.

Governor said that he regarded this meeting with the Association as a preliminary one. looked forward to further meetings in the future. At the beginning of his Governorship of Hong Kong, he wished to meet with all the various groups so as to. hear their thoughts on how they felt political development should be handled. He would also wish to ask a few questions SO as to establish a point of balance in his political agenda.

3.

Mr Fung said that the Association represented the lower income groups in Hong Kong. and Municipal Council members were Association. This meant they covered

the middle and 17 elected DB members of the 810,000 people.

4.

Mr Fung said that the Association had conducted а comprehensive survey on the Functional Constituencies.

The Association believed that Functional Constituencies were not democratic. But since they were provided for in the Basic Law they accepted the need for them. They, therefore, would try to reform Functional Constituencies within the constraints set out in

the Basic Law and to make the election methods more fair. Their proposals for reform (attached) were within the Governor's discretion. They stood ready to sue the Government on the grounds that the Functional Constituencies were inconsistent with the Bill of Rights. Mr Fung urged the Governor to ask the Attorney General to review the Functional Constituencies to see if they did indeed contradict the Bill of Rights.

5.

The Governor asked whether the ADPL's views could be summarised as :

(a)

they were Constituencies;

not

in

favour of Functional

CONFIDENTIAL