CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG
1
After six months, we have recently had the first signs of movement towards us from the Chinese side in the talks on Hong Kong's electoral arrangements.
This may be because the Chinese side finally realised that we were prepared to go ahead unilaterally with preparations for these elections if no agreement was reached by early December.
They have now offered us an interim agreement, which would allow us to get legislation underway for the District Board and Municipal Council elections (September 1994 and March 1995 respectively) and also for the longer lead-time items for the LegCo elections (September 1995). Their offer needs improving in one respect, if we can nail down an agreement, it will give us a bit more time to tackle the more difficult issues.
The
There has been one hopeful development on those. Chinese side have finally decided to discuss with us the criteria to be used in confirming members of LegCo to serve beyond 1997. It is crucial that these criteria should apply to future behaviour, and not be used as judgement of past political views. The gap remains wide
on the Functional Constituencies: holding out for a tiny franchise.
the Chinese side are
The jury is still out on whether we can bridge the gap in a way which would produce credible elections. Governor will be here next week. Important that in public we should not show any new sense of optimism about the talks: that would play into Chinese hands.
CONFIDENTIAL
Hong Kong
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