MR RENTON:
I think if one thing I have learned in
Hong Kong in the last 96 hours is that almost every member of this Territory, every"Hong Konger", is a politician! You all have very strong ideas which you are ready, and so it should be, to debate very fully as to what the future pattern of representative govern- ment in this Territory should be, how it should develop. I have a very strong impression of political debate here. But what I would like to think, and it is certainly not for me as a visitor to make or to give you a specific judgment on this, the last thing I want to do is to preach the Westminster form of democracy necessarily to Hong Kong because I am sure that what you have got to evolve is something that will be suitable for your own unique position. But the last thing that I would want to do - sorry, that I am sure that what will happen is that in the period up to 1987 review as the Governor said in his speech yesterday, there will be all sorts of shades of opinion coming forward. These will be reflected in the 1987 review and will then again take shape in the 1988 elections. So it seems to me that actually there is a very healthy ferment, not a divisive ferment, a very healthy ferment at the moment of developing in Hong Kong of shades of political opinion.
QUESTION:
TVB NewES
Wilson Wong of
I would
like to know, I mean, in UK's mind when do you think we should complete our political reforms, by nineties or after nineties?
MR RENTON;
I think that the important stage, really important point in this as I said in my opening remarks, is for you to take the step by step approach and see how each step develops, how it is reflected and acceptable within Hong Kong opinion, And I was, for example, very impressed, as I said earlier, and going to a district board meeting which is attended now by elected representatives, the degree of, you know, the amount of democracy at that level. I understand that this is very endemic in the Hong Kong system but this must be a step by step approach and clearly the review in *87 which has already been brought forward by two years, I think the original idea was to have it in '89, that is going to be the next important phase and all of you, all the Hong Kong people who are interested in this, will be feeding in your opinions directly to UMELCO, through your LEGCO representatives, through the district board, there are all sorts of avenues open, aren't there.