TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 37

UNCLASSIFIED

075637 MDHIAN 9518 '

A NEW PACKAGE OF ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS THAT WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE

GOVERNOR'S. THE PAPER ALSO QUOTED SOURCES CLOSE TO THE CHINESE SIDE

AS SAYING THAT THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM NOW WAS THE THROUGH TRAIN.

THE ALLOCATION OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SEATS AND THE COMPOSITION

OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE DID NOT INVOLVE CHINA'S BASIC STAND AND

SHOULD NOT BE TOO DIFFICULT TO RESOLVE.

5.

MING PAO UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HOPED TO APPLY THE CONCEPT OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES TO THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. BRITISH SOURCES SAID THE BRITISH SIDE WAS NOT OPPOSED TO THIS IDEA PROVIDED THAT THE FRANCHISE FOR THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WAS WIDENED. QUOTING INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM OTHER SOURCES, THE PAPER REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE BELIEVED THAT FOR THE FIRST THREE SECTORS OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE FORMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BL, THE ELECTORS AND VOTING MODEL OF SIMILAR SECTORS IN THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES COULD BE ADOPTED. AS FOR THE FOURTH SECTOR COMPRISING FORMER POLITICAL FIGURES AND LOCAL DELEGATES TO THE NPC AND CPPCC, THE CHINESE WERE OF THE VIEW THAT ALL NPC HONG KONG DELEGATES WOULD BE MEMBERS OF THIS SECTOR WHILE CPPCC DELEGATES WOULD ELECT REPRESENTATIVES TO IT. THE CHINESE SIDE BELIEVED THAT ONLY FORMER LEGISLATORS AND NOT DB MEMBERS OR MUNICIPAL COUNCILLORS SHOULD BE COUNTED IN THIS SECTOR. THE CHINESE SIDE FURTHER MAINTAINED THAT FORMER POLITICAL FIGURES SHOULD BE RETURNED THROUGH DEMOCRATIC CONSULTATIONS.

6.

ON FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES SING TAO DAILY QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD AGREE TO A 'ONE MAN ONE VOTE' SYSTEM FOR PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS WHILE CORPORATE VOTING SHOULD BE ADOPTED FOR ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.

7.

CHINESE OFFICIALS WERE QUOTED BY MING PAO AS SAYING THAT WHAT S OF S STRIVED TO ACHIEVE IN HIS RECENT VISIT TO PEKING WAS 'A LADDER TO CLIMB DOWN'. TO THIS END, THE CHINESE SIDE WAS WILLING TO MAKE SOME CONCESSIONS ON THE THROUGH TRAIN AS WELL AS THE TIMETABLE FOR THE TALKS. QUOTING CHINESE OFFICIALS, THE PAPER SAID THAT IF SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WERE RE-ESTABLISHED, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE THE GOVERNOR LEAVING A COMPLETE BLANK ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HIS OCTOBER POLICY ADDRESS. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PAPER, EXCO MEMBER PROFESSOR EDWARD CHEN SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS COULD BE AMENDED IF THE AGREEMENT REACHED BY BOTH SIDES WAS FAIR, OPEN AND ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE.