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MDHIAN 6972
MOVEMENT. INDEED I WOULD COUNT MY SELF AMONGST THEM. BUT MANY ARE WARY OF MOVING TOO FAR TOO FAST ALONG A PATH TOWARDS A FULLY-FLEDGED WESTERN STYLE DEMOCRACY. THIS MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR SOME COMMENTATORS TO ACCEPT, PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY COME FROM COUNTRIES WHERE A WESTERN STYLE OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IS NATURALLY ASSUMED TO BE THE IDEAL SYSTEM. SO MUCH SO, THAT IN THEIR EYES, ANYONE
IN HONG KONG WHO IS NOT CRYING OUT FOR IMMEDIATE DIRECT ELECTIONS MUST BE EITHER MOTIVATED BY SELF-INTEREST OR SIMPLY ANXIOUS NOT TO DISPLEASE CHINA. THE FACT IS THAT MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAVE A FIRM, REAL CONVICTION, BASED ON THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE HERE AND ON WHAT THEY HAVE SEEN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, THAT CHANGE IN HONG KONG'S POLITICAL SYSTEM SHOULD BE EVOLUTIONARY: THAT OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS SERVED THIS COMMUNITY SO WELL SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED SIMPLY TO FIT INTO THE MOULD OF A WESTERN STYLE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM, WITHOUT ANY QUESTION AS TO WHETHER IT IS NECESSARILY THE BEST SOLUTION FOR HONG KONG.
IN KEEPING WITH THIS MOOD IN THE COMMUNITY, THE GOVERNMENT HAS FOR MANY YEARS PREACHED A GOSPEL OF CAUTIOUS, STEADY PROGRESS IN ALL ITS POLICY-MAKING: FINANCIAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL. THE GOSPEL MAY NOT HAVE THE DRAMA OF GOOD HEADLINE, BUT IT HAS WORKED. IT HAS ENABLED HONG KONG TO CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL
ABOVE ALL, EVEN DURING PERIODS WHEN OTHER TERRITORIES FLOUNDERED. IT HAS ENABLED THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO SHARE IN OUR CONTINUING PROPSERITY. CAN YOU BLAME THEM FOR BEING SOMEWHAT WARY OF DRAMATIC
CHANGE?
IN FOLLOWING A CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEMS. THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO BEEN VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENCE BOTH LOCALLY AND OVERSEAS. MAINTENANCE OF THAT CONFIDENCE WILL BE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN THE CRUCIAL YEARS LEADING UP TO 1997. ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH CONFIDENCE WILL BE MAINTAINED IS TO ENSURE THAT THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO EVOLVE IN A WAY WHICH NOT ONLY MEETS THE WISHES AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE, AND THAT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO IN WAYS WHICH ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SMOOTH TRANSITION. OUR AIM MUST THEREFORE BE TO PROVIDE FOR THE GREATES POSSIBLE CONTINUITY OF THE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT BEFORE AND AFTER THE TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT: A SYSTEM WHICH ENABLES THE HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY THAT WE PRESENTLY ENJOY TO BE CONTINUED UP TO AND BEYOND THE TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION. CERTAINLY, NOTHING WE DO BETWEEN NOW AND 1997 MUST RUN COUNTER TO THE NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY.
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