TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 62

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061271

MDHIAN 8982

MADE UP OF THE FOUR SECTORS AS STIPULATED IN THE BL. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, THE PAPER REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT DISCUSS SELECTION METHODS BEFORE AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE. ANY SELECTION METHOD AMOUNTING TO DIRECT ELECTIONS WOULD BE REJECTED BY CHINA, AND THAT 'DEMOCRATIC CONSULTATION' MIGHT BE THE ONLY SOLUTION. THE SOURCES ALSO SAID THAT CHINA DID NOT WISH TO SEE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE FC ELECTIONS ALTHOUGH THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NOT INDICATED SPECIFICALLY IN PREVIOUS ROUNDS HOW THE NINE SEATS SHOULD GO.

5. A PROMINENT COMMENTARY IN THE LEFT-WING WEN WEI PAO CONSIDERED THAT THERE WERE 'ONE PREREQUISITE, THREE CONDITIONS AND ONE PROCEDURE' FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN. THE 'ONE PREREQUISITE' WAS THAT THE FORMATION OF THE 1995 LEGCO MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH THE RELEVANT BL REQUIREMENTS ON THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE. THE THREE CONDITIONS WERE UPHOLDING THE BL: SWEARING ALLEGIANCE TO THE HKSAR: AND SATISFYING THE NATIONALITY RESTRICTIONS AS STIPULATED IN THE BL. AND THE ONE PROCEDURE WAS THAT LEGISLATORS HAD TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE.

6. THE COMMENTARY FURTHER ELABORATED ON THE CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A LEGISLATOR WAS 'UPHOLDING THE BL':

A) THE PERSON SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN ACTIVITIES WHICH SOUGHT TO DIVIDE OR TOPPLE THE PRC AND THE SOCIALIST SYSTEM ADOPTED IN THE MAINLAND. THE PRINCIPLE OF ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS' HAD TO BE STRICTLY FOLLOWED:

B) THE PERSON SHOULD SUPPORT AND RESPECT ALL PROVISIONS IN THE BL. PEOPLE CALLING FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE BL BEFORE 1997 AND THOSE WHO BURNT COPIES OF THE BL WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS RESPECTING OR SUPPORTING THE BL: AND

C) THE PERSON SHOULD DEMONSTRATE THROUGH CONCRETE ACTIONS HIS

EFFORTS IN ENSURING CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD. PEOPLE WHO ASKED FOR FULL DIRECT

ELECTIONS IN 1995 WOULD NOT BE SEEN AS UPHOLDING THE BL.

7. SEPARATELY, VICE-DIRECTOR OF THE PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE SIMON LI WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT MARTIN LEE, SZETO WAH, CHRISTINE LOH, AND EMILY LAU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RIDE THE THROUGH TRAIN. LI SAID THAT IT WAS VERY EASY TO DETERMINE WHETHER A LEGISLATOR WAS UPHOLDING THE BL AND THERE WAS NO NEED TO INTERPRET IT THROUGH ANY LAWS.

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