141
154221
MDHIAN 9248
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1613
UNCLASSIFIED
HUB 012/1
OF 15050OZ OCTOBER 193
101
REGISTRY Action Taken
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
во-
TOP COP! Q DIST?
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: QIAN QICHEN AND LU PING ON DB/MC
ELECTIONS.
1.
FOUR PAPERS TODAY (15.10.93) QUOTED CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER, QIAN QICHEN, AS SAYING TOT HE VISITING URBAN COUNCIL DELEGATION YESTERDAY THAT IF THERE WAS NO AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS ON THE 1994-95 ELECTION ARRANGEMENTS, AND THE DB/MC ELECTIONS WERE CARRIED OUT USING THE BRITISH PROPOSED MODE I.E. FULL DIRECT ELECTIONS, NOT ONLY LEGCO MEMBERS BUT ALSO ALL DB AND MC MEMBERS WOULD HAVE TO GET OFF
THE TRAIN ON 30 JUNE 1997. A FRESH ROUND OF ELECTIONS WOULD THEN BE
HELD.
2.
QIAN WAS REPORTED TO HAVE REITERATED THE CHINESE SIDE'S
OBJECTION TO THE ABOLITION OF APPOINTED DB/MC MEMBERS. QIAN
FELT THAT THE RATIO OF ELECTED MEMBERS COULD BE INCREASED BUT THE
PROCESS MUST BE GRADUAL.
3.
URBCO CHAIRMAN, DR. LEUNG DING-BONG QUOTED QIAN QICHEN AS SAYING THAT IF THE TWO SIDES REACHED AN AGREEMENT ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES, THEN ALL DB/MC MEMBERS COULD RIDE THE THROUGH TRAIN WITHOUT HAVING FIRST TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE SAR
PREPARATORY COMMITTEE IN 1996.
4.
DR.LEUNG FURTHER QUOTED QIAN AS SAYING THAT ANY PERSON WHO HAD
COMMITTED A CRIMINAL OFFENCE COULD NOT RIDE THE THROUGH TRAIN. QIAN HOWEVER DID NOT EXPLAIN WHETHER HE WAS REFERRING TO AN OFFENCE COMMITTED UNDER HONG KONG OR PRC LAWS.
5. URBCO MEMBER JOSPEPH CHAN QUOTED DIRECTOR, HKMAO, LU PING AS
SAYING THAT IF THE TWO SIDES COULD NOT REACH AN AGREEMENT, THEN HKG WOULD NOT ONLY BECOME A 'LAME DUCK' GOVERNMENT BUT A
'LEGLESS DUCK' GOVERNMENT. LU PING ADMITTED THE ECONOMIC ISSUES
LIKE THE NEW AIRPORT AND CT9 COULD BE AFFECTED BY POLITICAL FACTORS.
PATTEN
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