TNAG-2716-FCO40-3922-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 89

Annex /

Paper Handed Over to the Chinese Government : Grand Electoral College/Election Committee

Curing their

the Governor

meeting in Peking on 11 Januar; 298 Hong Kong, Mr Li Hou and Mr Pind

Put..ned She Chinese Government's thinking on the dra

ncse sections

political structure Administrative Region.

the Basic Law which deal With the

the future Hong Kong Special They said that the BLDC Special Group on the Political System had adopted the proposal that a proportion of the SAR legislature should be elected by a Grand Electoral College (GEC) or Election Committee. They Cald Such A method Would enable some people of nigh Hong Kong, who would not wish to stand in

standing

jirect elections,

to play their part in the legislature through election by such a body. They also suggested that some members of the Legislative Council could be elected by this method in 1995 following consultations between the two sides on the formation and election procedures of the Slection Committee.

The British Government are grateful

for this explanation of Chinese thinking.

C.

The British Government's view is that one of the

-est ways of ensuring a smooth transfer of government in 1997 would be to provide that all members elected to the Legislative Council in 1995 should be able to continue in office until 1999. To this end we would be willing in principle to cooperate with the Chinese Government and introduce the Election Committee method of election to the legislature in 1995, providing that our two Governments can reach an understanding on satisfactory arrangements for

such elections.

3.

The main aspects oa which would be necessary are :-

we believe agreement