TNAG-2719-FCO40-3925-Hong-Kong-electoral-provisions-and-arrangements-1993 — Page 153

Re: The electoral timetable x the

*

disadvantage of decoupling'

BB & MC elections from the Leglo one

GOVERMENT HOUSE HONG KONG.

موادم

Elections (84)

TUE 21 SEP 93 09:00

PG.02

CONFIDENTIAL

布政司署

香港下亞畢道

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

Z Our Ref:

IMMEDIATE

BY FAX

ย

ABE Your Ref.:

Tel No. 810 2744

HUB 011/7

2 SEP 1993

Mr. Peter Ricketts

Hong Kong Department-

Foreign and Commonwealth office

Whitehall

London SW1A 2AH

United Kingdom

Dear Peter.

21 September 1993

1. Com

Mr Whum

Grom (Ms Everett, New.

Mr Wye, RAD

i 417

2.Mh Merri's

Mix Sander

As you may have already noticed from recent media reports, the Liberal Party have been advocating for separating DBs from the electoral arrangements rok LegCo SO that the Talks can go on for a longer period of time. After a meeting between the Governor and the three key members of the Liberal Party, Ronald Arculli wrote to me requesting for a clarification of why such a move would actually give us little extra time.

We

have

discussed the matter here and formulated a public line-to-take on this matter, which is agreed by the Governor. This is laid out in my reply (attached) to Arculli today (a copy of his also attached). For obvious reasons, we do to be drawn into any detailed public over the legislative time-table which could bring the question of a "deadline" to a head.

letter is

not want

discussion

As it is likely that there will be some publicity on this issue over the next few days, we think that you and Peking should be aware of the background of this incident and the line we will be taking in response to public enquiries.

Jour ever.

(C.M. Leung )

Deputy Secretary for Constitutional Affairs