TNAG-2718-FCO40-3924-Hong-Kong-electoral-provisions-and-arrangements-1993 — Page 81

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 920

OF 050455Z JUNE 93

AND TO PRIORITY PEKING

HKB 011/7 RECEIVED IF

10 JUN 1993

ISTRY

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG

45

133724 MOLIAN 7374

TOP COPY Q DIST?

OUR TELNO 882 AND 895: 1994 DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.

1.

THE ORDER ANNOUNCING THE NUMBER (18) AND NAMES OF THE

DISTRICTS FOR THE 1994 DBS WAS GAZETTED YESTERDAY (4 JUNE) AS SCHEDULED.

2.

THE GAZETTING WAS REPORTED BY A NUMBER OF NEWSPAPERS TODAY. TA KUNG PAO IN ITS HEADLINE NOTED THAT THE ORDER WAS ANEW ATTEMPT TO CREATE OBSTACLES TO THE ON-GOING TALKS AND WAS AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE COMMUNITY. ACCORDING TO THE EXPRESS, SOME MEMBERS OF THE TWO AFFECTED DBS CRITICISED THE GOVERNMENT FOR MAKING A 'JUMP START' WHILST TALKS ON THE 1994/95 ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS WERE STILL CONTINUING. THEY ALLEGED THAT THE MERGER WAS LINKED WITH THE ABOLITION OF DB APPOINTED SEATS. OTHER DB MEMBERS OBJECTED TO THE MERGER ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE TWO DISTRICTS HAD DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS AND THAT THE SENSE OF BELONGING OF THE RESIDENTS WOULD BE AFFECTED.

3.

4.

THE MONGKOK DB ISSUED A FOUR POINT STATEMENT AS FOLLOWS:

OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS THEY HAD BEEN RAISING OBJECTION TO THE MERGER THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS:

(I)

(II) EXCO'S DECISION TO MERGE THE TWO DISTRICTS WAS AGAINST PUBLIC OPINIONS. FAILURE OF EXCO TO CONSULT THE TWO AFFECTED DBS BEFOREHAND WAS AGAINST THE PRINCIPLES OF

'OPPENNESS AND ACCEPTABILITY TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG':

(III) THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD IMMEDIATELY WITHDRAW THE DECISION: AND,

(IV) MONGKOK DB WOULD CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT PUBLIC OPINIONS WOULD BE RESPECTED.

IN RESPONSE TO PRESS ENQUIRIES, GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN

1

PAGE

UNCLASSIFIED