TNAG-2493-FCO40-3625-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1992 — Page 54

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2700

OF 140439Z NOVEMBER 92

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

ра

iq

052445

MDLIAN 5390

Chinese reactan

CORRECT VERSION (PARA 1 LINE TWO)

HKD PLEASE PASS COPY TO THE GOVERNOR VISITING

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: SUGGESTIONS ON FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS BY SAMUEL WONG

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1. SCMP PUBLISHED TODAY (14 NOV) A LETTER TO THE EDITOR FROM SAMUEL WONG (INDEPENDENT) LEGCO MEMBER FOR THE ENGINEERING CONSTITUENCY, PROPOSING ALTERNATIVES FOR THE 1995 FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY (FC) ELECTIONS. WONG GAVE THE FOLLOWING THREE REASONS FOR DISAGREEING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S PRESENT PROPOSALS ON FCS WHICH HE THOUGHT WERE AKIN TO GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCY

- ELECTIONS:

(I) VOTING RATE IN GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES WAS TOO LOW. TO TRY AN BUILD ON SUCH INSUBSTANTIAL VOTING PERFORMANCE WOULD MAKE A MOCKERY OF DEMOCRACY IN HK. IT WOULD ALSO ENABLE CHINESE LEADERS TO CONCLUDE DEMOCRACY DID NOT WORK AND IMPOSE

ALTERNATIVES.

(II) FC'S WERE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT A FUNCTION, NOT A MEANS TO BROADEN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. IF THE WHOLE DIVERSE RANGE OF WORKERS WAS LUMPED TOGETHER IN A PARTICULAR SECTOR, THE CANDIDATES WOULD BE CHOSEN PRIMARILY BY PARTY POLITICS, NOT AS FUNCTIONAL REPRESENTATIVES.

(III) CORDIAL RELATIONS WITH CHINA WERE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE AND WE SHOULD NOT MAKE CHINESE LEADERS FEEL THAT WE WERE TRYING

TO TRICK THEM.

2. WONG SAID THAT THE PROPOSED 9 NEW CONSTITUENCIES OVERLAPPED WITHIN THEMSELVES AND WITH THE EXISTING FC'S. ONE OF THE EXAMPLES HE CITED WAS THE NEW TEXTILES AND GARMENTS FC, WHICH HE FELT WAS WHOLLY CONTAINED IN THE NEW MANUFACTURING FC. THERE WAS ALSO THE EXISTING INDUSTRIAL FC WHICH ALREADY COVERED TEXTILES AND

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