JALATP(i)
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REVISED TEXT OF PARAGRAPH 14
Accordingly many people in Hong Kong will not wish to see the 1987
review leading to dramatic changes. However the question of
introducing a directly elected element into the Legislative Council
continues to attract greatest public interest. Views are divided.
Those strongly in support of introducing a directly elected element
maintain that this is the only way of ensuring the evolution of a
genuinely representative government, capable of sustaining the "high
degree of autonomy" provided for in the Joint Declaration. Those against argue that the Hong Kong community is not ready for such a development, which could be destabilising. However, there seems to be a widespread acceptance, even among many of the more conservative
business and professional groupings that the direct election of up
to 25 per cent
cent of the legislature might be tolerable in 1997, and
might neutralise demands for even more radical change. The division
of opinion in the BLDC sub-group on
the BLDC sub-group on the structure of government in
which a number of the Hong Kong members are apparently
are apparently against the
introduction of direct elections even after 1997, is not a true
reflection of the opinion of the community. Most of the public
debate is in fact now tending to focus on the timing of the
introduction of a directly elected element and on the proportion of
members of the legislature to be selected by this method.
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