TNAG-2712-FCO40-3918-Parliamentary-relations-draft-White-Paper-on-Representative--1993 — Page 88

evidence that tiny franchises can lead to corruption and vote-rigging. They proposed that, learning nothing from experience, the nine new functional constituencies should be formed in the same way. They proposed a byzantine system open to manipulation for the Election Committee to return 10 members of the Legislative Council. They proposed a voting method for the geographical constituencies blatantly] tilted to ensure that the less popular parties won seats. They were not prepared to confirm that the voting age in the Legislative Council elections should be 18, as it is in Britain and China. Most worryingly, they undermined the whole point of reaching agreement on the electoral arrangements for the 1995 Legislative Council by declining to discuss objective criteria for deciding which Legislative Councillors elected in 1995 could serve beyond 1997.

We went as far as we could to bridge the gap. But we found no corresponding willingness on the Chinese side to make the effort needed to reach an agreement. We were not prepared to reach a deal at any price. After seven months of talks, we now need to get on with the legislation to enable the elections to be held on time. We intend to fulfil our responsibilities for the administration of Hong Kong up until 1 July 1997. The Governor's October 1992 proposals remain on the table as our preferred option. As Part III of this White Paper shows, we were ready to accept revised proposals on the functional constituences and the Election Committee as part of an overall package including agreement on through train criteria. But such agreement has not been forthcoming. The Governor will therefore be consulting members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council. will be for them to pass legislation in the best interests of Hong Kong. This is a heavy responsibility. But we and the Governor have consistently said that we cannot go further, nor can we go less far, than the people of Hong Kong wish us to go.

It

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