CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
27
HKB 011/7
IN
RECE DEGISTRY
1003
FM HONG KONG
EGISTRY
TO PRIORITY FCO
INDE
PA
"
Taken
TELNO 1170
OF 161109Z JULY 93
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
p.4.
Alections 64
064534
MDLIAN 5668
TOP COP Q DIST?
OUR TELNO 882 : NUMBER OF DISTRICT BOARDS FOR 1994
1.
OUR PROPOSAL TO MERGE YAU TSIM AND MONGKOK DISTRICTS WAS GAZETTED ON 4 JUNE IN THE FORM OF AN ORDER UNDER THE DISTRICT BOARDS ORDINANCE. MEMBERS OF THESE TWO DBS HAVE SINCE RAISED OBJECTION TO THE MERGER WITH PRO-CHINA GROUPS CRITICISING IT AS A BRITISH PETTY TRICK PRE-EMPTING THE ISSUE OF APPOINTED DB MEMBERSHIP WHICH WAS BEING DISCUSSED IN THE CURRENT SINO-BRITISH TALKS.
2. THE MERGER ORDER (SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION) IS BEING EXAMINED BY LEGCO WHICH HAS THE POWER TO AMEND IT. MR RONALD ARCULLI (LIBERAL PARTY) WILL MOVE A MOTION AT THE LEGCO MEETING ON 21 JULY (LAST MEETING OF THE CURRENT SESSION) TO BLOCK THE ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN TO MERGE THE TWO DISTRICTS. ARCULLI WILL MOVE THAT THE EXISTING NUMBER OF DISTRICTS (19) SHOULD BE MAINTAINED FOR THE NEW DB TERM
IN 1994.
3.
ON PRESENT COUNTS, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THERE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT LEGCO VOTES TO DEFEAT ARCULLI'S MOTION (WITH 21 VOTES IN SUPPORT FROM THE LIBERAL PARTY AND PRO-CHINA LEGCO MEMBERS AND SOME 31 VOTES, INCLUDING THOSE FROM THE THREE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS, AGAINST IT). WE WILL OF COURSE, CONTINUE WITH OUR LOBBYING EFFORTS IN LEGCO.
PATTEN
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CONFIDENTIAL
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