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(a) accepted and trusted by Britain, China and by people in HK;
(b) have no political leanings or affiliation with any consortia;
(c) must take a moderate and stable course;
(d) must be familiar with Government and with the administration of
modern city; and
(e) he must be skilled in going between various power groups.
To appoint an outstanding AO as “Governor" to continue the administration under the present set-up would ensure a smooth transition and would help maintain the confidence of both investors and local residents.
In a question and answer interview, Mr. Akers-Jones praised the younger generation of AOS as being well qualified, very capable and loyal. The AOS were faithful to the existing system in HK, not because it was modelled on Britain, but because the system had been functioning satisfactorily. People could live happily and enjoy freedom of speech under this system. There was no secret that the HK Government wanted to sound out public opinion, not only on the 1997 issue, but on other questions as well.
Mr. Michael Suen said the HK Government acted in the best interests of the public. But because of the questions or priority and limited resources, it was impossible for any Government to heed public opinion 100 per cent. The HK Government was sensible and would adjust its policies to meet changing needs. There were many watchdog bodies, e.g. the Audit Department, the ICAC, independent Judiciary and the press. Public opinion could be expressed dubiously; for example, the public put all the blame for inflation on public utilities.
Mr. Tsang believed that Britain and China would handle the HK question sensibly and the outcome would be acceptable. On the question of self-rule, he said it was already being practised. Our representatives in textile negotiations, be they Chinese or expatriate, had a different position to their British counterparts. AOs formulated policies and distributed resources. Besides, the outcome of an election only showed which political party the voters liked. There was no guarantee that it would provide good government. HK people needed a liberal Government which would not disrupt their livelihood and would yet be open to
criticism.
Mr. Ng said no political system, including democratic ones, allowed the people to make all the decisions. Besides, people did not want to make these decisions themselves. What they sought was fulfilment in life without interference. Democracy was something the intellectuals wanted to get in the name of the general public. The two most important ingredients of politics were freedom of speech and pragmatism. HK had both. Though there was no 'democracy' in HK, public opinion here was better respected than in many countries. Once political parties won power, they could ignore public opinion and the civil servants would not be accountable to the public. But if weight was not given to public opinion in HK, the Government or even individual civil servants would be openly criticised, or even worse, it could lead to social instability, disturbances, or emigration. As the saying goes, "Though we cannot vote with our hands, we can vote with our feet.”
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