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ROBIN ALSO SAID HKG'S POSTPONEMENT OF THE GAZETTING OF BILLS WAS A DEMONSTRATION OF SINCERITY FOR TALKS.
5. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL (24.2) UNDERSTOOD THE BRITISH SIDE, VIA THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN PEKING, WAS MAKING FINAL EFFORTS TO GET A RESPONSE FROM THE CHINESE SIDE BY THE END OF FEBRUARY TO DECIDE WHETHER TO GAZETTE THE BILLS AT THE END OF THE MONTH AS SCHEDULED.
6.
REPORTS NOTED (25.2) THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MICHAEL SZE, SAID IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM TO GAZETTE THE BILL AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE AND IF POSSIBLE BY THE END OF FEBRUARY. MR SZE SAID IF THE GOVERNMENT WERE TO GO BEYOND THAT DATE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FOR REASONS WHICH WOULD BE WELL UNDERSTOOD BY LEGCO AND THE COMMUNITY. MR SZE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD EVERY SINCERITY IN HOLDING TALKS WITH CHINA AND THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE GAZETTING OF BILLS FOR TWO WEEKS FULLY DEMONSTRATED THAT SINCERITY. THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT THAT THE TIMELY INTRODUCTION OF THE DRAFT LEGISLATION DID NOT AMOUNT TO AN ULTIMATUM TO CHINA BUT WAS OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE NECESSITY. IT WAS NOTED THE GOVERNOR REFRAINED FROM GIVING A DEADLINE FOR THE GAZETTING OF BILLS. THE PAPERS NOTED (25.2) POLITICAL GROUPS REMAINED DIVIDED ON WHETHER THE GAZETTING OF BILLS SHOULD BE DELAYED. MEETING POINT, ADPL, CRC AND DAB INDICATED SUPPORT IF IT WOULD FACILITATE TALKS. UDHK'S MARTIN LEE, HOWEVER, SAID THE BILL SHOULD BE GAZETTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE LEGISLATURE COULD CARRY ON DISCUSSIONS WHILE THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS CONDUCTED NEGOTIATIONS AND SUGGESTED THE DEADLINE FOR GAZETTING SHOULD BE THIS FRIDAY.
THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL (25.2) SAID EXCO DECIDED ON TUESDAY THIS WEEK THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE A LAST EFFORT TO RESUME TALKS WITH THE CHINESE. TO DEMONSTRATE SINCERITY FOR TALKS, THE BILLS WOULD NOT BE GAZETTED THIS FRIDAY. HOWEVER, EXCO ALSO DECIDED IF THE CHINESE FAILED TO RESPOND BY THIS MONTH, THE HKG SHOULD ANNOUNCE THE BILLS. EXCO CONSIDERED THAT THERE WERE ONLY TWO SITUATIONS UNDER WHICH THE PLAN TO GAZETTE THE BILLS SHOULD BE CHANGED. THE FIRST WAS IF THE CHINESE SIDE AGREED TO RESUME TALKS RIGHT AWAY. THE SECOND WAS IF THE CHINESE SIDE MADE A POSITIVE RESPONSE AND INDICATED A REASONABLE TIME SCALE, WHICH WOULD ENABLE THE HKG TO EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC. THE PAPER QUOTED GOVERNMENT SOURCES AS SAYING THIS SUNDAY WAS THE LAST DAY OF FEBRUARY. IF THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AFTER THAT DATE, EXCO WOULD INSTRUCT THE GAZETTING OF THE BILLS ON THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY.
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