TNAG-2713-FCO40-3919-Parliamentary-relations-draft-White-Paper-on-Representative--1993 — Page 55

PART III: ANALYSIS OF PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD DURING THE TALKS

41.

This part considers the various electoral proposals put forward by the British and Chinese sides against the essential requirements of Her Majesty's Government and the Hong Kong

Government: that the 1994-95 elections should be open, fair

and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong.

VOTING AGE

42.

The Governor's proposal in October 1992 was that the

voting age should be reduced from 21 to 18 for all elections in

Hong Kong.

43.

The voting age is 18 in both the UK and the PRC, and this

proposal was widely supported in Hong Kong.

44.

The Chinese side took no position on this issue until

Round 15, when they accepted that the voting age could be

lowered to 18 for all three tiers of elections.

ELIGIBILITY TO STAND FOR ELECTION

45.

The Chinese side proposed that Hong Kong law should be changed to permit Hong Kong Deputies to the National People's

Congress and Hong Kong members of the Chinese People's

Political Consultative Conference to serve in the Legislative Council and District Organisations. But the prohibition on

members of other Parliaments and Councils should remain.

46.

The British side agreed in Round 14 that as part of an

agreed overall package, they would be willing to commend to the Legislative Council an amendment to the law to permit People's Congress Deputies to become members of the Legislative Council and District Organisations. In Round 16 they offered to agree,

statememt 26.8/BRIEFS/NJH

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