TNAG-2734-FCO40-3942-Hong-Kong-role-of-the-Legislative-Council-(LEGCO)-1993 — Page 193

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INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: MOTION DEBATE ON REFERENDUM: PRESS

REPORTS.

1. LOCAL PRESS REPORTED ON 7 FEBRUARY THAT UDHK WOULD MOVE A

MOTION DEBATE AT THE LEGCO SITTING OF 21 APRIL CALLING FOR A REFERENDUM ON THE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR 1994/95. MARTIN LEE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THEY HAD NOT DECIDED ON THE EXACT WORDING OF THE MOTION: WHILE SZETO WAH SAID THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE GIVEN A

CHANCE TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS BEFORE LEGCO VOTED ON THE

CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS.

2. THE MOVE ATTRACTED IMMEDIATE REACTION FROM THE CHINESE AND SOME POLITICAL GROUPS. NCNA VICE DIRECTOR, ZHANG JUNSHENG, WAS REPORTED TO HAVE CRITICISED THAT THE PROPOSAL AS AN IMPOSSIBLE JOKE, ADDING THAT TRANSITION-RELATED MATTERS SHOULD BE HANDLED BY THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS. CRC CONVENOR ALLEN LEE SAID THAT A REFERENDUM WOULD BE USEFUL ONLY BEFORE THE BILLS WERE INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO. IT SHOULD BE FOR LEGCO TO DECIDE ON THE PROPOSALS ONCE THEY WERE PUT TO LEGCO. MEETING POINT CHAIRMAN ANTHONY CHEUNG SAID A REFERENDUM WOULD NOT BE FEASIBLE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AND TECHNICAL GROUNDS.

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