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Chris Yeung

SECRET lobbying over the second part of the electoral reforms is under way, with some independent legislators hoping to secure Beijing's blessing for a moderate blueprint.

The councillors hope their proposal will have a better chance of survival after 1997 and that even if it is scrapped, the damage can be kept to a minimum.

 On the government front, officials are stepping up efforts to cement support for the second part of the elector al bill, scheduled to be tabled for debate on June 29.

  Private lobbying will be launched among legislators, it is understood.

  The administration's move to step up lobbying comes amid efforts by the Liberal Party and some independent legislators to push for a mainstream model.

  Party chairman Allen Lee Peng-fei declined to comment on reports that some independent legislators had sought support from their pro-China colleagues and from local officials of Xinhua (the New China News Agency).

  ''I don't want to politicise the issue. What we want is for [all parties] to clearly study the merits and demerits of our proposal,'' he said yesterday.

  The party last week announced amendments to the Governor Chris Patten's blueprint, trying to make it closer to China's proposals.

  The amendments would substantially reduce the number of voters in the functional constituency polls and have an Election Committee broadly divided into four categories of about 400 members.

  Some independent legislators believe the votes of the pro-China lawmakers could tilt the balance in the final vote.

  A pro-China figure, however, said the independents' and Liberal Party move was mere ''wishful thinking''.

  ''The Chinese position remains that they won't accept any amended version based on the Patten blueprint. It's not the contents of the proposals that matter but the way it has been put forward by the British side,'' he said.

  United Democrats' Cheung Man-kwong also believed that China would not compromise on any proposals approved by Legco.

  Independent legislator Jimmy McGregor, the General Chamber of Commerce representative to the Legislative Council, said he might support a radical proposal calling for a fully directly-elected legislature next year, following his ousting from the chamber's general committee.

  He said he was rethinking his position on the electoral bill, saying the burden from his constituency had been lessened since his defeat in the committee polls.

  ''I was politically rejected, and this leaves me with more freedom to vote according to my conscience,'' he said.

  Now that China had made clear the three-tier structure would be abolished after 1997, Mr McGregor asked: ''Why don't we make the best possible suggestion for Hong Kong for the 20 months before 1997?   ''I believe China means what she says, she is not playing games.''   Despite strong lobbying, he said he would not support the proposed amendments made by the Liberal Party, adding that some members of the Hong Kong Democratic Foundation shared his view.

  Efforts to make the model align more with China's thinking was ''appeasement'' and mere ''wishful thinking'', he said.

  Mr McGregor said he was not worried that his departure from the views of the business chamber would jeopardise his chance of re-election.

  ''It's not right for a legislator to take a position based on the hope of being re-elected,'' he said.



Secret lobbying on reforms