Governor's Proposals for 1995 LegCo Elections
1.
In his inaugural address to the Legislative Council early last October Mr Patten set out an alternative package of proposals, which respond to the strong desire in Hong Kong for more democracy, while remaining within the terms of the Basic Law. They include: voting age to be reduced from 21 to 18; voting system to be single seat, single vote; creation of an Independent Boundary and Election Commission, franchise of functional constituencies to be greatly extended; Election Committee (which under the Basic Law elects 10 LegCo members) to be composed of people who have themselves been elected (eg District Board members).
2. The Chinese have reacted with strong hostility to these proposals. During the Governor's visit to Peking, 20-23 October, the Chinese maintained that the changes proposed contravened the Basic Law, and as such represented no basis for a smooth transition in 1997. They have warned that, if the Governor should persist in introducing these changes, the Chinese would dismantle them in 1997 and replace them with their own arrangements. While they initially suggested that discussion could continue in the JLG, subsequently they have made clear that discussions can only resume after the Governor has publicly withdrawn his proposals. Accordingly, the XXVth meeting of the JLG in Hong Kong on 8- 10 December was an entirely sterile exchange. The Chinese refused to discuss substantive JLG issues and concentrated instead upon criticisms of the Governor's proposals. The Chinese have also claimed that the Governor's proposals broke an agreement between Foreign Ministers in early 1990 on the arrangements for the 1995 LegCo election committee. The exchange of letters at the time, which we made public, showed that this was not the case. Threats that China was planning to set-up some sort of 'shadow government' for Hong Kong have been denied by a senior Chinese official.
3.
We have said repeatedly that we want to discuss these proposals with the Chinese and to reach agreement with them. The Governor, for his part, has made it clear these are proposals, not firm decisions, and that he is ready to consider alternative suggestions, provided that they meet his basic criteria: that the 1995 elections should be open, fair and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong. The proposals will be put to the Legislative Council in February and it will, in due course, be up to the Council to reach a decision.
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