TNAG-2711-FCO40-3917-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 84

The Governor's Constitutional Proposals

12. The Governor announced a package of constitutional

proposals to the Hong Kong Legislative Council on 7 October

1992, including proposals for the 1994/5 election

arrangements. They represented his best judgement as to how

to meet growing demand in Hong Kong for more democracy while

remaining within the terms of the 1984 Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, China's constitution for Hong Kong post-1997.

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13. Mr Patten's electoral proposals include:

voting age to be reduced from 21 to 18;

voting system in geographical constituencies to be single

seat, single vote;

creation of Independent Boundary Election Commission;

- franchise of functional constituencies to be greatly

extended

- Election Committee (which will elect 10 Legislative Council

members) to be composed of people who have themselves been

elected.

14. The Chinese reacted with hostility, mounting a strident

propaganda campaign against the Governor personally and putting pressure on businessmen and Legislative Council

members. They insisted the Governor should withdraw his

proposals, and refused to discuss them or to suggest any alternatives. China maintains that the proposed changes contravene the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law, and

agreements reached between us in Jan/Feb 1990. We do not

accept those claims.

15. We said repeatedly, from the outset, that we were ready to discuss the Governor's proposals without preconditions. engaged in intensive diplomatic exchanges in February and March in an attempt to agree a satisfactory basis for talks.

We

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