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6. POLITICAL REFORMS: SCMP ON 26 JANUARY REPORTED EXCLUSIVELY THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY DRAWN UP AND ISSUED TO EXCO A WORKING PAPER ON THE 1987 REVIEW. THE REPORT SAID THAT THE DOCUMENT DID NOT (NOT) RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DIRECT ELECTIONS AS AN OPTION TO BE CONSIDERED. THE REPORT ALSO SAID THAT THE WORKING PAPER ADDRESSED THE FUTURE ROLE OF THE GOVERNOR, AND CHANGES TO LEGCO AND TO ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH EXCO, BUT DID NOT GIVE ANY CLEAR GUIDELINES ON THE WAY FORWARD. THE HK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION
WITH AT RELEASED AN OPINION PAPER IN FAVOUR OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, LEAST ONE QUARTER OF LEGCO SEATS TO BE DIRECTLY ELECTED IN 1988. THE PAPER ALSO ARGUED FOR THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO BE ELECTED. THE UNION WAS AGAINST FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES BECAUSE ONLY A FEW PEOPLE COULD BE ELECTED OR VOTE: AND FAVOURED THE FORMATION OF ORGANISED POLITICAL PARTIES AS A MEANS OF ENSURING A STABLE AND EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT' A DB MEMBER SAID THAT THE HKG SHOULD CONSIDER SCRAPPING INDIRECT ELECTIONS, REVIEW THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN URBCO AND THE DBS, AND LOWER THE VOTING AGE TO 18. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ECONOMIC JOURNAL, ALLEN LEE SAID IT WOULD BE MEANINGLESS TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS BECAUSE CHINA WOULD NEVER GIVE HK PEOPLE REAL POWER TO ADMINISTER THE TERRITORY. HE WOULD NOT OPPOSE THE IDEA OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, BUT WOULD NOT
POLITICAL PARTY. ADVOCATE IT: AND HE HAD ABANDONED PLANS TO FORM A
•
LEE ALSO SAID THAT THE TERM 'HK PEOPLE RULING HK'' WAS BUT A UNITED FRONT TACTIC TO MISLEAD HK PEOPLE TO CHINA, SOVEREIGNTY ALSO MEANT ADMINISTRATIVE RIGHTS. HE WAS ALSO DISAPPOINTED BY CHINA'S INTERPRETATION OF ACCOUNTABILITY' AND 'ELECTIONS'' AND CALLED
ON HK PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THIS.
COMMENTARIES.
}
7. MR. RENTON: FINANCIAL DAILY AND THE EXPRESS SAW MR. RENTON'S REMARKS ON CONVERGENCE AS AN INDICATION THAT REFORMS IN HK WOULD HAVE TO BE GUIDED BY THE BL. FINANCIAL DAILY BELIEVED THAT BRITAIN WOULD SET UP MORE **BLOCKS AGAINST HK, ''SUCH AS THE BNO ARRANGEMENT'' BECAUSE OF DOMESTIC ECONOMIC PRESSURES. SING PAO SAID THAT MR. RENTON WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A CLEAR ANSWER ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE DISCUSSED IN THE JLG. HK DAILY NEWS WAS MORE POSITIVE, SAYING THAR MR. RENTON'S REMARKS INCREASED PEOPLE'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLITICAL REFORMS AND THE BL, AND WOULD BOOST CONFIDENCE. THE PAPER SAID THAT DISAGREEMENT AND CONFRONTATION COULD NOT SOLVE DIFFERENCES, WHEREAS NEGOTIATION AND CONSULTATION COULD. HENCE THE JLG WOULD PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE DURING THE TRANSITION. WAH KIU YAT PO AGREED ON THE NEED FOR CONVERGENCE BETWEEN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND THE BL. THE LEFTWING PAPERS GENERALLY REACTED FAVOURABLY TO MR. RENTON'S PRESS CONFERENCE. WEN WEI PO WELCOMED MR. RENTON'S REMARKS THAT IT WAS IN EVERYONE'S INTERESTTO HAVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION, AND SAID THIS CLEARLY IMPLIED THE NEED TO MAINTAIN STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. TIN TIN DAILY NEWS AGREED THAT BRITAIN AND CHINA SEEMED NOT (NOT) TO BE DIVIDED IN THEIR WIEWS ON HK AND ON THE NEED TO MAINTAIN STABILITY. CHING PO AGREED ON THE NEED FOR CONVERGENCE AND SAID IT
WAS THE COMMON WISH OF HK PEOPLE.
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18.