TNAG-2449-FCO40-3565-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 126

SECRET

ADVANC

034423

MDADAN 0461

SECRET

FM

HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 20090OZ FCO

TELNO 1912

OF 200725Z JULY 92

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HO

THE POLITICAL AGENDA: CHANGING THE

AND THE LEGISLATIVE ARRANGEMENTS I

1 I HAVE DISCUSSED WITH KEY OFFIC

WAY AHEAD BOTH ON CHANGES TO EXCO

ARRANGEMENTS. THIS TELEGRAM SETS

WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS WIT

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

вок

Quick comment likel Chinese attinde to te

'hinge'? (Para 7) Googled wit "accountability" (para 8) Could be hard for Herm

fe to swallow?

2. EXCO HAS IN THE PAST SERVED TWO MAIN PURPOSES:

1E

ง

Jala

A. TO GIVE THE GOVERNOR QUALITY ADVICE DRAWN FROM THE COMMUNITY:

AND

B. TO PROVIDE A MEASURE OF POLITICAL COVER, AND SUPPORT IN LEGCO, FOR GOVERNMENT DECISIONS AND POLICIES.

3. THE PRESENT EXCO DOES NOT SERVE EITHER PURPOSE, DUE IN NO SMALL MEASURE TO THE CHANGING NATURE OF LEGCO. THE FACT THAT A

BLOC OF EXCO MEMBERS BELONG TO THE CO-OPERATIVE RESOURCES CENTRE

(CRC) HAS MEANT THAT THE ADVICE GIVEN BY THEM IS PARTISAN. THEY

DO NOT DELIVER CONSISTENT LEGCO SUPPORT FOR OUR POLICIES AND

DECISIONS. CRC MEMBERS, AND INDEED OTHER LEGCO MEMBERS IN EXCO, HAVE BEEN FLOUTING THE CONVENTIONS OF CONFIDENTIALITY AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY. MORE RECENTLY, THE CRC MEMBERS ON EXCO

HAVE MORE OR LESS GONE OVER TO THE CHINESE SIDE. EXCO THUS HAS

LITTLE CREDIBILITY, EITHER IN THE COMMUNITY OR WITHIN THE

ADMINISTRATION. IT IS NO LONGER A BODY IN WHICH STRATEGY VIS-A-

VIS CHINA CAN BE DISCUSSED. THE SITUATION HAS TO CHANGE.

4 IN EXAMINING THE OPTIONS FOR CHANGE, I HAVE CONSIDERED WHETHER THERE WOULD BE ANY MERIT IN INTRODUCING OTHER ELEMENTS FROM LEGCO

INTO EXCO, IN PARTICULAR UDHK. WHILE IT WOULD NO DOUBT APPEAR MORE DEMOCRATIC, I THINK THAT OPTION HAS A NUMBER OF FUNDAMENTAL FLAWS, AT ANY RATE IF THE CONCEPT OF AN EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT IS TO MEAN ANYTHING.

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