TNAG-2734-FCO40-3942-Hong-Kong-role-of-the-Legislative-Council-(LEGCO)-1993 — Page 153

VERMENT HOUSE HONG KONG.

WED MAR 93 07:28

PG.18

SECRET

3

electoral arrangements for 1994

and

1995. That fact will be

in my

mind and in the minds of members of our

constantly

delegation.

7.

No one should imagine that these discussions are going

to be easy. They will not be. For our part, we will try

sincerely to achieve

success in

these talks, to narrow the

differences between both sides and to identify the common ground,

while remaining true to the undertakings we have given to you and

to the people of Hong Kong that the arrangements for the

elections should be fair, open, and acceptable to the community.

We

have not travelled this far lightly to abandon those

undertakings now. But equally we would be doing less than our

duty to the community we serve if we did not enter these talks

determined to try to the best of our ability to bring them to a

successful and honourable conclusion.

So we enter these

discussions in a positive spirit, while not underestimating the

difficulties of securing agreement on terms that could honourably

be recommended to the community whose best interests we seek to

serve.