TNAG-2450-FCO40-3567-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 124

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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

PERSONAL FOR HUM, AUSS, FROM GOVERNOR

YOUR TELNO 1309: MY LEGCO ADDRESS: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

1. I AM FAXING TO YOU AND PEKING THE DRAFT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL SECTION OF MY LEGCO ADDRESS: IT REPRESENTS MY OWN FIRST EFFORT AND I MAY WISH TO TINKER WITH IT IN DUE COURSE. I HOPE THAT THE DRAFT WILL ANSWER MOST TO THE POINTS IN TUR.

2.

PARAGRAPHS 27 29 AND 40 MAKE IT PLAIN THAT MY IDEAS ARE PROPOSALS WHICH WE WILL DISCUSS WITH THE CHINESE AND NOT A FINAL PROGRAMME. THAT SAID, I AM NOT PREPARED, AS YOU KNOW, TO RETREAT ON THE SUBSTANCE AT THE END OF THE DAY.

3.

INSOFAR AS THE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES ARE CONCERNED,

THE DRAFT EMPHASISES THAT, TAKEN WITH THE EXISTING CONSTITUENCIES, THEY WILL COVER THE FULL SPECTRUM OF OCCUPATIONS IN HONG KONG. AND ALLOW EACH EMPLOYED PERSON A SECOND VOTE ADDITIONAL TO THE ONE HE OR SHE CAN CAST IN DIRECT ELECTIONS. THAT SHOULD HELP ENSURE A BROAD RANGE OF REPRESENTATION IN LEGCO,

but not at SOMETHING THE CHINESE FAVOUR. IT SHOULD SURELY ALSO BE AWKWARD all imposs. FOR THE CHINESE TO CONDEMN MORE VOTES FOR THE WORKERS, WHICH IS

WHAT THE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WILL GIVE. LU PING AND COLLEAGUES WILL NO DOUBT ARGUE, AS YOU SUAMISE, THAT THE NEW CONSTITUENCIES AMOUNT TO A MAJOR DEPARTURE FROM THE EXISTING FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY PATTERN. BUT THAT IS NOT THE YARDSTICK AGAINST WHICH I WILL SEEK TO DEFEND THE PROPOSALS. RATHER I WILL EMPHASISE THAT THERE IS NO CONFLICT WITH THE BASIC LAW.

4. ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, PARAGRAPH 43 MAKES CLEAR THAT I AM LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN (THEORETICALLY) TO INCLUSION OF OTHERS THAN DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS. I NOTE YOUR VIEW ON NPC AND CPPCC DELEGATES. I WOULD NOT OF COURSE TRY TO DICTATE HOW THESE ARE GENERATED. I WOULD MERELY SAY, IN PRIVATE DISCUSSION WITH LU PING, THAT IF THE CHINESE DECIDED TO HAVE THEM ELECTED BY UNIVERSAL FRANCHISE THEY WOULD IN MY VIEW BE ELIGIBLE TO BE