CONFIDENTIAL
Q.
What form of elections direct or indirect
most suitable for Hong Kong?
-
A.
do you consider
to express a
this stage. Review to be held in
views of Hong Kong people will be
in decision on this and other
Hong Kong has evolved
I do not think it would be appropriate for
view on that question at
the course of this year
taken fully into account
matters. The system of government over the years. Confident that Hong Kong will continue to find the right system to meet its needs at any given time.
Q.
A.
If there is а clear majority in favour of direct elections,
will they be introduced?
I think it would be wrong for me to speculate about what the
result of the review might be.
It will be a fair and
thorough review, and the question of direct elections will be
one of the issues considered in it. We must see what views
Hong Kong people express before deciding what, if any,
changes should be made.
Q.
A.
Do you
think Hong Kong should postpone its political review
until the draft of the Basic Law is ready, to ensure the two
will converge?
We are committed
to
the review this year, and it will
will go
ahead. Of course there is an inter-relationship between the
Basic Law, which will set out the constitutional arrangements
which will be in force from 1997 onwards, and developments in
Hong Kong up to that time. I think it is now well understood by Hong Kong people that there is a need for compatibility
between the two sets of arrangements so that we can have a
smooth transfer of government in 1997.
CONFIDENTIAL