TNAG-2991-FCO40-3566-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 29

SECRET

034423

MDADAN 0461

ADVASTU M.

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 2009OOZ FCO

TELNO 1912

OF 200725Z JULY 92

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

THE POLITICAL AGENDA: CHANGING THE ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AND THE LEGISLATIVE ARRANGEMENTS IN 1995.

W

1 I HAVE DISCUSSED WITH KEY OFFICIALS AND WITH MR GALSWORTHY THE WAY AHEAD BOTH ON CHANGES TO EXCO AND ON THE 1995 LEGCO ELECTION ARRANGEMENTS. THIS TELEGRAM SETS OUT MY INITIAL CONCLUSIONS, WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH YOU IN HONG KONG NEXT WEEK.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

2. EXCO HAS IN THE PAST SERVED TWO MAIN PURPOSES:

A. TO GIVE THE GOVERNOR QUALITY ADVICE DRAWN FROM THE COMMUNITY: AND

TO PROVIDE A MEASURE OF POLITICAL COVER, AND SUPPORT IN LEGCO, FOR GOVERNMENT DECISIONS AND POLICIES.

3. THE PRESENT EXCO DOES NOT SERVE EITHER PURPOSE, DUE IN NO SMALL MEASURE TO THE CHANGING NATURE OF LEGCO. THE FACT THAT A BLOC OF EXCO MEMBERS BELONG TO THE CO-OPERATIVE RESOURCES CENTRE (CRC) HAS MEANT THAT THE ADVICE GIVEN BY THEM IS PARTISAN. THEY DO NOT DELIVER CONSISTENT LEGCO SUPPORT FOR OUR POLICIES AND DECISIONS. CRC MEMBERS, AND INDEED OTHER LEGCO MEMBERS IN EXCO, HAVE BEEN FLOUTING THE CONVENTIONS OF CONFIDENTIALITY AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY. MORE RECENTLY, THE CRC MEMBERS ON EXCO HAVE MORE OR LESS GONE OVER TO THE CHINESE SIDE. EXCO THUS HAS LITTLE CREDIBILITY, EITHER IN THE COMMUNITY OR WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION. IT IS NO LONGER A BODY IN WHICH STRATEGY VIS-A- VIS CHINA CAN BE DISCUSSED. THE SITUATION HAS TO CHANGE.

4, IN EXAMINING THE OPTIONS FOR CHANGE I HAVE CONSIDERED WHETHER THERE WOULD BE ANY MERIT IN INTRODUCING OTHER ELEMENTS FROM LEGCO INTO EXCO, IN PARTICULAR UDHK. WHILE IT WOULD NO DOUBT APPEAR MORE DEMOCRATIC, I THINK THAT OPTION HAS A NUMBER OF FUNDAMENTAL FLAWS, AT ANY RATE IF THE CONCEPT OF AN EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT IS TO MEAN ANYTHING.