TNAG-2719-FCO40-3925-Hong-Kong-electoral-provisions-and-arrangements-1993 — Page 112

A MilBoli lan

Миво! 011

:

SECRET

CC:

102

38 um. 1993

Hong Kong Department

18 October 1993

Sir J Coles

វ

Fron:

J C Morris

date:

REGIST

500円

Minor

PS/Mr Goodlad

Mr Hum

Mr Fry, FED

Ms Everett, News D

A

18110.

BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION (BEC)

Problem

1.

Hong Kong plan to bring into operation on 22 October the

parts of the BEC Ordinance which enable the BEC to conduct

and supervise elections. This overturns an earlier decision to defer this action while talks with China were underway.

Recommendation

2. I recommend that we endorse Hong Kong's decision, and I

submit a draft reply (which will need to issue today).

Background

3. Mr Goodlad will recall that we recently agreed that Hong

Kong should amend the BEC Ordinance to defer (from

31 December to 30 April) the deadline for the BEC to make their recommendations to the Governor on constituency

boundaries. At that time we renewed our earlier decision to

defer activating the remaining parts of the BEC Ordinance

while the talks with China continued.

A

1100

4.

HK Telno 1616 explains that this latter decision was

predicated on the assumption that no elections or

by-elections were scheduled in the near future; but that

since the resignation of a Sha Tin DB member, a by-election will be held on 5 December and preparatory work will need to

begin now. It makes sense for the BEC the body specifically set up for this purpose to organise this

election.

-www

If the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs were

becmin18.10 JM

SECRET

1