TNAG-2450-FCO40-3567-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 175

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

SECRET

152200

MDHIAN 6540

CONSTITUENCIES. SO DO PROFESSIONALS, INDUSTRIALISTS. LABOUR

ETC...

17.

IN NEGOTIATION WITH THE CHINESE, ALTHOUGH I WOULD NOT PUT THIS IN MY ADDRESS, I WOULD BE PREPARED TO OFFER INCLUDING NPC AND CPPCC DELEGATES, PROVIDED THAT THEY WERE ELECTED IN HONG KONG BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE.

18. ANY REGISTERED VOTER SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTION BY THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. THIS WOULD NOT THUS BE A RETURN TO THE OLD DB ELECTORAL COLLEGE WHEREBY DB MEMBERS ELECTED LEGCO MEMBERS FROM AMONGST THEMSELVES.

19. I DO NOT INTEND IN MY ADDRESS TO SPECIFY ANY SINGLE VOTING METHOD FOR THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. WITH A SMALL ELECTORATE SUCH AS THIS, THERE COULD BE ARGUMENTS FOR PR AS WELL AS MORE STRAIGHT-FORWARD METHODS. LEAVING FLEXIBILITY ON THIS POINT WOULD ALSO LEAVE SOME ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE WITH THE CHINESE, WHO WILL OBVIOUSLY NOT LIKE THIS SORT OF ELECTION COMMITTEE.

(VI) NATIONALITY RESTRICTION

20. THE 20 PERCENT NATIONALITY RULE IS IN MY VIEW UNWORKABLE AND SHOULD NOT BE INTRODUCED IN 1995. I DOUBT IF MANY CANDIDATES WITH FOREIGN NATIONALITY OR RIGHT OF ABODE WILL SUCCEED IN THE ELCTIONS THEN. NON-IMPLEMENTATION WILL NOT THEREFORE AUTOMATICALLY RESULT

IN DISCONTINUITY.

(VII) REQUIREMENT TO UPHOLD THE BASIC LAW

21. ALSO NOT FOR 1995, SINCE THE BASIC LAW ITSELF ONLY COMES

INTO FORCE IN 1997.

(VIII) VOTING SYSTEM FOR LEGCO AS LAID DOWN IN THE BASIC LAW

22. AGAIN NOT FOR 1995. NON-IMPLEMENTATION THEN HAS NO

EFFECT ON CONTINUITY.

23. I WOULD NOT/NOT COVER THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPHS 20-22 IN MY

ADDRESS.

PRESENTATION

24.

WHILE WE MAY BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH SOME SOLID MIDDLE GROUND

PAGE

SECRET

5

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.