TNAG-2450-FCO40-3567-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 66

اناتاب

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vital task of creating an effective working

relationship between this Council and the

Administration, so that the Government is

fully aware of Members' concerns, and that

this Council is fully briefed on the

proposals which the Government will

asking Members to support.

be

THE 1995 ELECTIONS

!

135.

The reforms I have outlined will

set the stage for the changes which are

needed for the 1995 elections.

I know that

many people regard the key issue as being

the number of directly-elected seats. On

present plans, this will rise from 18 to 20

in 1995, and will increase at subsequent

elections with the ultimate aim of achieving

a

Council

composed

directly-elected Members.

has been argued that we

entirely of

For some time, it

should seek to

quicken the pace of this development, and

the British Government has pledged to pursue

this with the Chinese Government. Two weeks

ago,

therefore, during their meeting in New

York, the Secretary of State for Foreign and

Commonwealth Affairs made the case to the

Chinese Foreign Minister for an expansion in

the number of Members of the 1995

SECRET