TNAG-2721-FCO40-3927-Hong-Kong-elections-nationality-restrictions-1993 — Page 76

CONFIDENTIAL

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1993

REGISTRY

OF 25072OZ AUGUST 1993

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: NATIONALITY RESTRICTIONS: PRESS REPORT

THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES TODAY (25.8) QUOTED PWC POLITICAL SUB-GROUP MEMBER PROFESSOR LAU SIU-KAI AS SAYING THAT HKG WAS UNLIKELY TO IMPLEMENT THE NATIONALITY RESTRICTIONS UNDER BL 67 IN THE 1995 ELECTIONS AS THIS HAD MAJOR LEGAL AND SOVEREIGNTY

IMPLICATIONS.

2-

LAU BELIEVED THAT EVEN IF THE BRITISH SIDE WAS UNWILLING TO IMPLEMENT SUCH RESTRICTIONS IN THE 1995 ELECTIONS, THIS SHOULD NOT CREATE ANY OBSTACLES FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN QUESTION OR THE SINO-

BRITISH TALKS AS THE BRITISH SIDE WAS ONLY ASKING FOR OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN AND NOT A 100 PERCENT THROUGH PASSAGE OF BOTH THE PASSENGERS AND THE SYSTEM IN 1997. ON THE NATIONALITY RESTRICTION ISSUE, LAU BELIEVED THAT HKG WOULD ASK THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE AN IMPLEMENTATION METHOD BEFORE THE 1995 ELECTIONS, AND THEN ALLOW HONG KONG PEOPLE TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICE, BASED ON THESE GUIDELINES, WHEN STANDING FOR ELECTION IN 1995. HKG WOULD NOT HOWEVER ADOPT THE PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION METHOD IN 1995.

3.

LAU AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO DRAW UP A REASONABLE, SIMPLE AND FEASIBLE METHOD TO IMPLEMENT THE NATIONALITY

i feat RESTRICTIONS AS NO GUIDELINES WERE PROVIDED IN THE BL. HE BELIEVED

3. groups

separately

THAT A POSSIBLE METHOD WOULD BE TO ALLOCATE THE WHOLE QUOTA OF 20 PERCENT OF FOREIGN PASSPORT HOLDERS TO THE FUNCTIONAL

CONSTITUENCIES AS FOREIGNERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE MEMBERS OF THE

+ diffentELECTORATE OF THESE CONSTITUENCIES. FOR THE DIRECTLY ELECTED -bad

m(SEATS, FOREIGNERS WERE EXPECTED TO MAKE UP A VERY SMALL PART OF THE ELECTORATE. AS REGARDS THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, LAU CONSIDERED THIS priph & ELECTORATE.

BE A TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENT AND SHOULD NOT, THEREFORE, INCLUDE mampaktinto

ANY FOREIGN PASSPORT HOLDERS.

COMMENTS

THIS REPORT IS INTERESTING. LAU IS NOT ONLY A PWC MEMBER : HE HAS FOR A LONG TIME BEEN A SORT OF UNOFFICIAL ADVISER TO THE

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