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seats, the BEC would be wasting time on abortive work.
4.
We think the best way to get round this problem is to extend the submission deadline for the BEC. In setting a new deadline, our constraints are:
(a) the MC elections will be using the voter register to be published in August 1994. In order to compile the register, we must know by July 1994 what the constituency boundaries are; and
1994.
(b) LegCo will, on present plans, go into recess on 6 July
ALL Legislative steps required to give legal effect to the MC constituency boundaries must therefore be completed by then to
tie in with (a) above.
Working backward, 30 April 1994 is the absolute latest by which the BEC must submit its recommendations.
5. Subject to your and addressees' views, we will seek ExCo's agreement on 12 October to extend the submission deadline. The decision will be announced on 20 October; the amendment bill will then be introduced into LegCo on 27 October with a target enactment date of 17 November. In parallel, we will write to the BEC to suggest that they withhold further demarcation work pending the passage of the amendment.
6. When the amendment bill goes before ExCo, we will no doubt be pressed on the deadline for talks with the Chinese. We shall have to make it plain that there is no connexion between the new BEC deadline and the time left for the talks, i.e. we cannot go on talking until April or anything like that long. (For the BEC to be able to submit recommendations on 30 April 1994, the number of elected MC seats must be legislated by February 1994, which again shows early December as the latest decision point.) We may have to give ExCo an indication of our deadline for the talks, but we can probably avoid giving them a precise date.
7. As for handling the Chinese, we see merits in informing them of the amendment once it is approved by ExCo so as to pre-empt any unnecessary speculation on their part in the event of a leakage. There is a danger that the Chinese might wrongly conclude that we have until April 1994 for the talks. We shall have to tell them too that we have only weeks, rather than months, to conclude the talks; and that the amendment to the BEC Ordinance does not affect
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