TNAG-2735-FCO40-3943-Hong-Kong-role-of-the-Legislative-Council-(LEGCO)-1993 — Page 102

06-AUG-1993

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EXCO Remarks by the Acting Governor. Sir David Ford, in which he did not rul out the possibility that Legco members might be appointed to Exco in 1995 were reported by a few papers. Sir David, however, stressed that this was only one of the many options and that the Government had not come up with a dandsion yet. --We added that--tinuse-appointed to Exco would have to follow the rules of confidentiality and collective responsibility.

Without directly commenting on reports about the composition of Exco, PWC member Sir S. Y. Chung said stipulations in the BL had been very flexible about the composition of the Exco, adding that this would a watter to be decided by the SAR chief executive, Sir S. Y. said if the Governor's separation of Exco and Legco was one extreme. then suggestions that the Exco in 1995 would reflect the political forces in Legco would be another.

UDHX' Lee Wing-tat said if Leeco members were appointed to Exco, the rule of collective responsibility should be abolished. Emily Lau hoped that a coalition Government would be formed with Exco's membership being divided according to the ratio of Legco seats held by the political parties. Chin Pui-chung described the development as normal if Legco members were to be included in Exco.

OMLEGCO

Morale was at low ebb in the OMLEGÇO secretariat despite the fact that the Government and Lence had agreed on a new pay package for staff and would soon invite applications for the Secretary-General. The worst-case scenario was there would be 85 per cent manpower loss by April 1994 and the remaining 15 per cent contract staff would be tasked with training up new-recruited personnel, Ming Pao reported.

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CMB

The protest action by CNB workers was well covered. The papers noted that the management had agreed to grant special cash assistance to the laid-off workers and to clarify that these workers ware "good employees". However, some workers were still not happy with the arrangement and would decide on further actions, including a strike on August 17.

CIVIL SERVICE PENSION

A few papers noted that an international civil service association had endorsed support for the HK civil service in their fight for the setting up of a pension fund. The chairman of the Chinesc Civil Servants' Association, Wong Hyo, attended a conference of the association on August 4.

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